Chapter 108: Jingxing

Jingxing, this Taihang mountain fortress, the thoroughfare between Ji and Jin, had no longer been held by the Hu barbarians since Liu Chengyou stationed troops in Zhending and occupied Zhenzhou. Some local heroes within the pass, along with captives and surrendered soldiers, had united to drive out and kill the Hu generals and Khitan troops stationed there. Thereafter they submitted and pledged allegiance, and were appointed by Liu Chengyou as garrison commanders.

Under the blazing sun, a large body of cavalry came lightly galloping from east to west, fully armed, with bright and distinct banners, exuding an elite aura that was immediately apparent to anyone who saw them. The "Liu" banner flaunted itself wantonly, and even its shadow swaying on the ground seemed spirited and proud.

One battalion of cavalry, plus the guard battalion, over a thousand riders, escorted Liu Chengyou westward. A distance of merely sixty li, even sparing the horses, took no more than an hour.

Word that the Second Prince was coming had arrived well in advance, and by the time Liu Chengyou arrived, the garrison troops within the pass had already made their preparations to receive him. No incident occurred along the way, and Liu Chengyou reached the pass smoothly.

What slightly surprised him was that among the welcoming party, there was an extra small contingent of troops—a subordinate unit of the Chengtian Army, stationed more than twenty li southwest of Jingxing.

Speaking of the Chengtian Army, back then Liu Zhiyuan had put on an elaborate performance, leading his army eastward to rescue the Jin emperor Shi Chonggui, but in reality, he had stopped at Shouyang. Thereafter he sent troops east to attack the marauding Khitan forces.

They had wrestled with the Khitan army several times between Pingding and Jingxing, routed them, established the Chengtian Army, left troops to guard the Chengtian Army stockade, expanded the defensive depth east of Taiyuan, and added another layer of insurance to Hedong's eastern defense line.

Clearly, this was his true purpose in leading the army eastward. As for rescuing Shi Chonggui, that was merely a political slogan. He had already proclaimed himself emperor by then—even if he had actually rescued Shi Chonggui, he would probably have arranged for him to die suddenly anyway.

Liu Chengyou raised a question about the Chengtian Army soldiers being here, and the young officer leading them answered that they were under orders from his elder brother Liu Chengxun, clearing the path as vanguard. This did not go beyond his expectations—Liu Chengyou's westward journey to Jingxing this time was precisely to welcome his elder brother.

"Where is my elder brother now?" Liu Chengyou asked.

"Reporting to Your Highness, when this officer set out, the First Prince was still in Pingding city. Marching through the mountain roads is difficult; he is still in the mountains now, and it will likely be some time before he reaches Jingxing!"

Liu Chengyou nodded. Calculating it, his elder brother's eastward pace was not particularly slow.

After giving a few casual instructions, Liu Chengyou ordered his men into the city to rest. Looking up at the city wall, at the Chengtian Army banner and the Jin banners fluttering in the summer breeze, Liu Chengyou suddenly felt that row of "Jin" banners was somewhat glaring. He reckoned that the closer one got to the Eastern Capital, the more Liu Zhiyuan's side would feel much the same.

Within the Jingxing pass city, besides the few garrison troops, there were actually some traveling merchants. One should know that although the situation in the surrounding prefectures and counties had eased somewhat, it was still far from stable. Not to mention the ravages of war—the bandits lurking in the mountains alone posed an enormous risk to merchants transporting goods. However, no matter the conditions, there was never a shortage of people willing to take risks for profit.

Liu Chengyou sent someone to inquire, and they were mostly "Jin merchants," claiming to deal in grain and goods. However, it was likely not that simple, but Liu Chengyou had no interest in concerning himself with these merchants' livelihoods.

After all this time of training, Liu Chengyou's first reaction upon arriving anywhere was to inspect the surroundings, examine the terrain, and understand the local conditions. At a military stronghold like Jingxing, an inspection was naturally unavoidable.

Tao Gu followed at Liu Chengyou's side, pedantically introducing Jingxing to him. This man had indeed read a great many books, and his exposition even carried a hint of showing off. He quoted ancient texts like the "Tribute of Yu" and the "Commentary on the Water Classic," interspersed with his own armchair-general understanding, and in the end, it all boiled down to one familiar phrase: a place every strategist must fight for.

Liu Chengyou had heard this phrase quite a lot; it felt like any pass could be described with it. How could there be so many places that every strategist must fight for? It all depended on the battle situation and the concrete circumstances.

Liu Chengyou did not have to wait long. Avoiding the hottest period around noon, following the mountain road, guided by soldier scouts, Liu Chengxun led his troops into view west of Jingxing. Liu Chengyou personally led men out of the pass to welcome him, displaying the "respect" befitting a younger brother.

After several months apart, his elder brother Liu Chengxun still had that gentle, refined gentlemanly bearing—even wrapped in military armor, amidst the killing fields of war, his scholarly air remained undiminished. He just looked very weary from the march, his face flushed red from the heat, sweating profusely.

At the foot of the pass wall, seeing Liu Chengyou come personally to welcome him, Liu Chengxun seemed somewhat surprised, and stepped forward excitedly to take his hand: "Second Brother, why did you come in person?"

"Elder Brother leads troops eastward; as your younger brother, I naturally should welcome you in person!" Liu Chengyou said softly. Compared to when he was in Jinyang, Liu Chengyou seemed less cold, and his expression appeared somewhat gentler.

Liu Chengxun likewise looked Liu Chengyou over, saying with some concern: "You've grown thinner and darker. But it's good that you're safe. You don't know—Mother in Taiyuan worries constantly and prays for you!"

For some reason, Liu Chengxun's look of concern made Liu Chengyou feel rather uncomfortable inside. However, thinking of Lady Li, Liu Chengyou showed a restrained display of emotion, and asked with some feeling: "How is Mother's health?"

"Very well, just anxious with worry. Now, the three of us—father and sons—are all in the army, alas..." Liu Chengxun said. "Fortunately, Third Brother is still by her side to attend to her."

Hearing Liu Chengxun's words, Liu Chengyou felt no particular sentiment. Lady Li, in his impression, was no frail, short-sighted woman—far from it.

Liu Chengxun seemed somewhat unwell, looking parched and breathless. Liu Chengyou quickly urged him into the city to rest. Seeing him appear physically frail, Liu Chengyou could not help but show concern, yet in his heart, he unconsciously felt a sense of relief.

"I heard you led your army at Luancheng, defeated several hundred thousand Khitan troops, and even took the life of the Liao sovereign? Now your name is known throughout the realm!" As they walked into the pass city, reaching a shaded spot where it was much more comfortable, Liu Chengxun opened up.

Liu Chengyou demurred: "The rumors are mistaken. The Khitan forces, even counting the miscellaneous Hu, numbered only a hundred thousand or so, and with the aid of the Yan troops and Jin troops, plus the death of the Liao sovereign, only then did we achieve this victory. Also, the Liao sovereign's life was not taken by our army. But had he not died, I would not have dared to lead a night assault..."

Hearing Liu Chengyou say this, Liu Chengxun continued to praise him, full of laudatory words, but the subtle envy in his eyes was not concealed in the least.

"How is Jinyang now?"

Along the way, it was not only Liu Chengxun who was probing—Liu Chengyou was also concerned about the situation in Hedong.

Liu Chengxun had brought fewer than three thousand troops eastward, and another batch of troops had been drawn from Jinyang's garrison. Counting these men, one could imagine that Taiyuan's military strength was now thin to the extreme.

Uncle Liu Chong had completely taken over Taiyuan, acting as Regent of the Northern Capital, and the position of Military Governor of Hedong was essentially his to lose.

However, after Liu Zhiyuan's campaign that emptied the nest, and with the future relocation of soldiers' families to the Central Plains, with the population drain, Hedong was about to be bled dry once again...