Chapter 1108: The Emperor and the Crown Prince

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has arrived!" Having just awakened from his afternoon nap and taken a moment to collect himself, he heard the report.

"Summon him!"

During this period, Liu Yang had basically been at the Hall of State Affairs, handling the affairs of the various internal and external departments together with the chancellors. Unlike before, the Crown Prince could now express opinions on various matters of practice and propose solutions.

Emperor Liu's purpose was also clear—besides continuing to train his abilities to think, judge, and handle affairs, he also wanted him to gain a deeper understanding of the implementation and operation of the "Kaibao New Policies" and to understand his grand strategy for governing the state. The early years of Kaibao were an extremely critical turning point for the empire; as Crown Prince, he could not be a mere bystander.

When Liu Yang stepped in, Emperor Liu's face no longer showed any trace of drowsiness. He stepped forward to pay his respects and respectfully called out: "Father!"

"Sit!" Liu Chengyou glanced at the Crown Prince and gestured.

In vermilion court robes and a purple-gold crown, he radiated nobility and dignity. At fifteen years of age, he might still seem somewhat immature, but as Crown Prince, he could already bear greater pressure and more responsibility.

Seeing him constrained by the ceremonial robes, sweating profusely even though the hall was relatively cool, Liu Chengyou said: "The weather is hot—take off your court robes!"

"Someone, bring the Crown Prince a bowl of cold tea!"

Liu Yang expressed his thanks, then removed his court robes, his whole body immediately feeling much lighter. After finishing the cold tea, a relaxed smile appeared on his youthful, handsome face.

"There has been much turmoil at court recently. Since I have not been in the palace these past days, has the court been quieter?"

Holding a teapot in one hand and a feather fan in the other, Liu Chengyou at this moment did not resemble an emperor who ruled the realm, but rather a wealthy country landlord. However, Liu Yang dared not make any comment on his demeanor; his attention was entirely on Emperor Liu's question. From his meaning, it seemed he had come to Qionglin Garden to escape for some peace and quiet.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Yang replied: "The day before yesterday, we received a memorial from Hezhong Prefecture reporting that the summer crops had failed and the number of famine victims was rising sharply."

"Famine again?" Hearing this, Liu Chengyou straightened his upper body and said: "This is a serious matter. How did you handle it?"

"I ordered Hezhong Prefecture to set up porridge stations to relieve the famine victims. Since the grain stored in Hezhong's charity granaries was insufficient, I transferred grain from Shanzhou and Jinzhou!" Liu Yang replied. "Additionally, I dispatched Censor Zheng Qi to represent the court in going to Hezhong to offer consolation and resolve the famine as quickly as possible, restoring public order!"

"Furthermore, Duke Yuguo suggested exempting this year's summer taxes for all circuits and prefectures where crops had failed!"

Compared to the great disasters of drought and locusts in previous years, this year's Hezhong was only a minor famine. The court already had a set of response measures for this, and Liu Yang was very familiar with them.

"However!" After hesitating for a moment, Liu Yang continued: "Grand-uncle said that regarding the Hezhong famine, the local government may have delayed reporting and concealed the truth, and that someone should be sent to investigate!"

"What do you think?" Liu Chengyou became somewhat interested.

"I have looked into it. Over the years, Hezhong has reported disasters too many times, and this time the report did indeed come somewhat late. Therefore, I have no objection to sending someone to investigate!" Liu Yang said.

Emperor Liu's originally relaxed expression gradually turned more serious. After a moment of silence, he asked: "Who is the current Prefect of Hezhong?"

Liu Yang replied: "It is An Shouzhen, son of the late Grand Preceptor to the Crown Prince, An Shenghui!"

An Shenghui was the elder brother of An Shenqi, Duke of Xiangyang. Although he had been dead for over a decade, he was still a figure of considerable weight in the An clan.

"Ha!" Liu Chengyou suddenly laughed, saying lightly: "Back then, a Li Shouzhen rebelled against the court from Hezhong, and now another An Shouzhen comes to govern Hezhong on behalf of the court. Is this fate?"

Emperor Liu's words were hardly auspicious, and Liu Yang naturally caught that. Noting his father's expression, he added: "The matter has not yet been fully investigated, so it is too early to draw conclusions. Moreover, Prefect An has been in office for less than two years, while Hezhong's disaster problems have persisted for a long time..."

Nodding, Liu Chengyou waved his hand: "Then wait for the results to come out before we discuss it further!"

"Yes!"

"How are the arrangements for the aftermath in Hexi coming along?" Liu Chengyou asked again.

"After discussion at the Hall of State Affairs, it was decided to re-establish counties and towns in the four prefectures of Gansu, Gua, and Sha. The Ministry of Personnel urgently transferred a batch of officials from Guanzhong and Longyou to take up their posts, in order to restore order as quickly as possible. The Bureau of Military Affairs has also made arrangements for garrison and defense matters. The reason I have come today is precisely to request your decree regarding the military and civil appointments for governing Hexi!" Liu Yang said.

"Who do you plan to appoint?" Liu Chengyou asked.

"Wu Tingzuo will continue to serve as Administration Commissioner of Hexi; Lu Duoxun will be the deputy commissioner, overseeing the affairs of Gua and Sha prefectures; Yang Tingzhang will be Chief Commander of Hexi, responsible for reorganizing the garrison troops, adjusting defenses, and suppressing the unsubmissive Uyghurs and various barbarian tribes; Chen Wantong will be Army Commander of Dunhuang, defending Gua and Sha!" Liu Yang said.

"What about Wang Yansheng and Guo Jin?"

At this mention, Liu Yang said: "The various ministers believe that since these two generals committed great slaughter in Gansu this time, keeping them there any longer would only continue to provoke hatred among the local people, making it difficult to pacify and govern them. Therefore, they recommend transferring the two generals back and reassigning them elsewhere!"

"What do you think?" Liu Chengyou still fixed his gaze on Liu Yang, asking for his view.

On this, Liu Yang pondered for a few moments, then said with some hesitation: "Although it is somewhat unfair to Generals Wang and Guo, for the sake of the greater situation in Hexi, we can only temporarily put them at a disadvantage!"

"Let me ask you—after so many people have been killed, will those Uyghurs and Gansu people forget their hatred and sincerely submit just because the court transfers these two generals away?" Liu Chengyou finally sat up from his reclining chair and asked Liu Yang.

"This..." Liu Yang was momentarily at a loss, then finally shook his head: "I'm afraid not!"

"In that case, why not keep Wang Yansheng and Guo Jin in Hexi, using their fearsome reputations and prestige to intimidate those Uyghurs and safeguard the court's governance?" Liu Chengyou said.

"But because of the matter of killing prisoners, there has been considerable criticism at court..."

"What war doesn't have deaths!" Liu Chengyou interrupted Liu Yang, staring straight at him. Seeing a look of inner conflict appear on Liu Yang's face, Liu Chengyou's tone finally softened, and he said gently: "I don't like the killing of prisoners either. So many Uyghur soldiers, so many able-bodied young men—even if used to dig canals, open mines, build bridges, or pave roads, they could have created considerable value.

Killing them for nothing, besides stirring up hatred among the locals, brings no other benefit. But we are far away in the Eastern Capital. We should also consider the circumstances of the generals on the front lines and the soldiers fighting, and be understanding of their emotions. Regardless of the process, recovering Hexi is a great achievement for the court. The fruits of soldiers who feared not death and fought with their blood must never be casually erased!"

"Also, although the court's westward advance is to recover former territories, to take back lands that originally belonged to China, to the Uyghurs who have been herding and farming there for nearly a hundred years, we are invaders—plundering their property and encroaching on their land. Under such circumstances, hoping for a bloodless peaceful recovery is impossible.

The slaughter at Yanzhi Mountain and Shandan City will certainly arouse the Uyghurs' anger and hatred, but it will also instill fear in their hearts..."

Hearing Emperor Liu's words, Liu Yang pondered briefly, then asked: "Then how do we resolve the hatred caused by the killing?"

Liu Chengyou smiled faintly: "First, through the court's governance methods and policies; second, it requires time. Of course, the most important thing is that the Great Han's strength is sufficiently formidable, and the court's authority is sufficient to intimidate!"

Seriously contemplating Liu Chengyou's views, Liu Yang's expression finally calmed, and then he asked: "In that case, during the recent period when the entire court was criticizing this matter, why didn't you issue an edict to stop it? If you had spoken, the ministers surely would not have dared to criticize it so heavily!"

"First, indiscriminate killing is indeed not what we have always advocated, and it is strictly prohibited in the military. Generals like Wang Yansheng and Guo Jin need to be given a warning!" Liu Chengyou said calmly: "They are fierce and valiant generals, but they are often unruly and reckless. If not disciplined in time, they may inevitably cause great disasters!"

"I have heard that back then, Marquis Xiping caused a great disaster in the Eastern Capital and was only then sent out to the northwest as a general!" Liu Yang said.

"Indeed!" Emperor Liu sighed: "Back in the Huainan campaign, Wang Yansheng had already engaged in killing surrendered soldiers, and after returning to the Eastern Capital, he was again arrogant and reckless in contending for merit..."

As he spoke, he looked at Liu Yang again and admonished: "You must remember—killing is sometimes indeed the simplest way to resolve matters, but it often leaves endless troubles behind. In commanding the army, one must grasp the proper measure; in governing the state, one should think thrice before acting."

"Yes!" Liu Yang replied respectfully.

In truth, Emperor Liu's words were just talk. The principle was sound, and many people could understand it—the key was how to act on it. In all these years, when Emperor Liu convicted people and sentenced them to death, when had he ever thought thrice?

"After this affair, Wang Yansheng and Guo Jin will inevitably harbor some resentment and feel wronged. What do you think should be done to resolve this?" Liu Chengyou asked.

After thinking it over, Liu Yang suggested: "Both generals have long garrisoned the border prefectures, enduring wind and rain, and have always been hardworking and meritorious. Why not take this opportunity to transfer them back to the Eastern Capital to serve in the imperial army?"

"Let it be so!" Liu Chengyou looked as if he was following Liu Yang's advice.