Chapter 107: Deep Deliberation

Matters involving life, death, and future prospects were not something Liu Chengyou could casually brush aside. Of course, Liu Chengyou himself did not even think that Zhao Yanshou would agree at the first mention and readily accept.

Once calm was restored, Liu Chengyou quietly watched Zhao Yanshou, whose expression shifted between uncertainty and hesitation. With a very composed bearing, he sat for a while, then said softly: "There is no rush in this matter. Prince Yan may take his time to consider it thoroughly!"

Rising and making a bow, Liu Chengyou summoned his guards, leaving behind the still-pondering Zhao Yanshou, and walked slowly away. Before exiting the door, he stopped in his tracks, and as if the thought had just occurred to him, said: "Ah, I forgot to tell the Prince of Yan. News has come from the south—your son, Zhao Kuangzan, the Military Governor of Hezhong, has submitted a memorial to the Son of Heaven, expressing his submission..."

Zhao Yanshou suddenly snapped back to his senses, his expression shifting.

Dusk descended. The summer night prefectural office of Zhenzhou was adorned with lights that were not particularly bright, though the main hall blazed with illumination.

In the hall, several trusted generals gathered together, offering their views on Liu Chengyou's proposal regarding Zhao Yanshou. However, Liu Chengyou had clearly already made up his mind, with little room for reversal, and had given the matter comprehensive consideration. Rather than listening to his subordinates' suggestions, it was more like explaining his own thinking to them.

The several generals wore grave expressions, silent for a moment. It was Xiang Xun who continued to maintain his opinion: "This subordinate still feels it's not worth it!"

"This man Zhao Yanshou cannot be trusted!" This was Ma Quanyi's view.

"The Khitan's power in Youyan is still not weak. Even if, as Your Highness says, the Khitan are suffering internal strife over succession, relying solely on Zhao Yanshou to seize Youzhou would not be easy!" Murong Yanzhao said.

"My aim is not whether Zhao Yanshou can take Youzhou, but only how much of a stir he can cause there, and how much trouble he can bring the Khitan!" Liu Chengyou finally spoke.

"But can the situation truly develop as Your Highness envisions?" Xiang Xun shook his head: "Would Zhao Yanshou truly dare to oppose the Khitan? Even if he goes north, what if he once again submits to the Hu barbarians—what then?"

Liu Chengyou finally showed a trace of contemplation. What Xiang Xun said was not impossible. Though Zhao Yanshou currently seemed unwelcome among the Khitan, should any change occur, he might well defect once more and play the role of guide for the enemy, without much psychological burden.

In the Central Plains, military governors of various garrisons surrendering and then rebelling, rebelling and then surrendering again—none of it was anything rare.

Liu Chengyou paused only briefly, then looked around and said: "During this period, you all must have heard some rumors. They say that in the battle of Luancheng, I coordinated with Zhao Yanshou from within and without, exchanging intelligence—the Yan troops rising from within, our army attacking from without—and that is how we achieved such a great victory!"

"Now, this news has begun to spread toward the Youyan region..."

Hearing Liu Chengyou say this somewhat abruptly, the generals were taken aback. However, Guo Rong and Wei Renpu, who had remained silent all along, quickly understood Liu Chengyou's intentions.

Liu Chengyou did not deliberately keep them in suspense, saying directly: "Even if Zhao Yanshou dares to defect to the Khitan again, and even if the Khitan are willing to accept him once more, I will make Zhao Yanshou himself feel guilty!"

The generals were not particularly sensitive to this and reacted somewhat slowly. However, there were always clever ones who grasped Liu Chengyou's thinking, including Tao Gu, who had been quietly standing to the side.

At this moment, seeing the others silent, his eyes flickered twice. He bowed to Liu Chengyou and said cautiously: "Your Highness, when this official was in the Eastern Capital, I heard that Zhao Yanshou harbors ambitions for the throne. The Liao sovereign, Yelu Deguang, once promised him that if he took the Central Plains, he would be made emperor. It was only later, when the Liao sovereign broke his promise, that resentment grew in his heart, leading to friction with the Hu."

"Whether Your Highness granting him the Youyan fiefdom is worth reconsidering."

Indeed, literati always saw problems from a different angle. Tao Gu was one step short of directly reminding Liu Chengyou that Zhao Yanshou harbored ambitions of hegemony and must not be let go.

But Liu Chengyou's political instincts did not seem particularly sharp. As if he had not understood Tao Gu's meaning, he waved his hand and said calmly: "For our dynasty at this time, whether the Youyan region is in Khitan hands or in Zhao Yanshou's hands makes little difference."

With a confident and composed air, he added another line: "Even if Zhao Yanshou harbors disloyal intentions, so what?"

"If Zhao Yanshou truly can take Youzhou, it would indeed be a clever move." At this moment, Guo Rong finally spoke.

He said little, and though his attitude leaned somewhat in favor, it seemed he had left half a sentence unsaid. Clearly, even Guo Rong had some reservations about Liu Chengyou's decision in his heart.

However, it came back to the same point—the course of events might very well not proceed according to his thinking. It was too uncontrollable, and Liu Chengyou seemed somewhat presumptuous.

Still, some things, even when the risks were clearly known, had to be done. According to Liu Chengyou's thinking, the worst outcome was merely that Zhao Yanshou went north, directly submitted to the Khitan again, and once more became the vanguard of Khitan invasion southward.

But setting aside how likely that possibility was—even so, after the heavy blow of the Luancheng battle, how long would it take for the Khitan to restore their national strength and once again have the capacity to march south? Moreover, they would first have to resolve their internal conflicts.

Through the continuous in-depth analysis and understanding of Feng Dao, Wei Renpu, and others, there would most likely be a struggle between Yelu Ruan and the Liao Empress Dowager Shulu Ping.

Seeing the risks, one naturally had to also see the enormous benefits behind them. If Zhao Yanshou truly could take Youzhou, he could be made the northern shield of the Liu family's realm, alleviating the defensive pressure on the northern border.

At that time, positioning it as the "Northern Han," it would become a buffer zone between the two states. Once the Central Plains stabilized and recovered its strength, taking Youyan back from the Zhao clan would definitely be easier than taking it directly from the Khitan.

At worst, if Zhao Yanshou failed, he could still cause trouble for the Khitan, weaken the stability of Youyan, disrupt its development, and prevent it from continuing to provide nourishment for Khitan expansion in the short term.

No matter how much he considered, Liu Chengyou could not help but sigh inwardly—the present military strength was insufficient, national power was inadequate, and the situation was unfavorable for external warfare. Otherwise, taking advantage of the impact of the Luancheng battle, this would be the best time for the Central Plains to retake Youyan and rebuild the northern border defenses, without Liu Chengyou having to exhaust his schemes here on such matters.

Everyone had likely perceived Liu Chengyou's resolve, and no one continued to dissuade him. Because as he had said, whether the matter succeeded or not, the impact on the new dynasty was minimal—it was merely an attempt.

However, Zhang Yanwei finally raised one objection: "Your Highness letting Zhao Yanshou go north is acceptable, but why give him the Yan troops? This point this subordinate cannot endorse—I only fear that raising a tiger will bring disaster!"

"If it were only Zhao Yanshou alone, how much of a stir could he cause in Youzhou?" Liu Chengyou asked in return.

Liu Chengyou had also given consideration to the matter of the Yan troops. It came back to the same point—this force was not so easily absorbed. They had long formed their own faction, and their roots, families, and homes were all in the Yan region. To forcibly keep them within the realm, unless they were completely disbanded, would sooner or later breed disaster.

Rather than that, it was better to release them back to Youzhou, following Zhao Yanshou to stir up a storm of waves. These men were the very culprits behind the Khitan defeat, their hands stained with Hu blood. In the short term, one could still look forward to what they might accomplish once they returned to Youzhou.

He had thought much, yet in the end, the crux still lay with Zhao Yanshou himself.

If Zhao Yanshou refused, then Liu Chengyou would truly be hard-pressed to find a replacement at this time. In that case, Liu Chengyou would have made all these expressions for nothing...