Chapter 1114: Sovereign and Subject in Harmony

Because of the one-day delay at Zhongmu County, Yan Tuo had also waited an extra day at Xiangfu Post Station, but the pickup still went smoothly. However, facing the honor of the Son of Heaven sending the imperial carriage to receive him, Guo Rong did not dare to sit in it. Honor was honor, sincerity was sincerity—as a subject facing such grace, he still ought to display the proper humility. Thus, Guo Rong, together with Yan Tuo, escorted the empty carriage to Qionglin Garden to pay respects to His Majesty.

This achieved three results at once. The Son of Heaven's grace and respect toward meritorious ministers was displayed, the minister's face was equally honored, and the majesty of imperial authority was once again highlighted, along with the supreme supremacy of the Son of Heaven—how could an ordinary person ride in the imperial carriage?

"Your subject Guo Rong pays respects to Your Majesty!"

"Chai Qing, rise quickly, no need for ceremony!" Liu Chengyou appeared very delighted at Guo Rong's return, the smile on his face almost warm enough to melt hearts.

"Since you departed far to the northwest, we, sovereign and subject, have not met for nearly two years. At last year's grand ceremony, you were not in the capital to share in the celebration, and my heart felt empty—I deeply regret it!" Liu Chengyou personally helped Guo Rong to his feet and guided him to take a seat.

At this, Guo Rong was also quite moved, and with a smile that matched the occasion, he opened with words of flattery: "Though your subject was far away in the northwest, I have still heard something of court affairs. Your Majesty has governed with diligence for fifteen years, finally sweeping away the separatist regimes, unifying the realm, and restoring peace. Your merit and virtue rival the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors—truly one in a thousand ages, worthy of all admiration.

Though your subject did not attend the grand ceremony, like the hundreds of millions of the Great Han's people, I sing Your Majesty's praises and pray for the Great Han's strength..."

"Stop! Stop right there!" Liu Chengyou raised his hand and said with a smile: "Chai Qing praises me so much that I'm blushing. I dare not accept it, truly I dare not!"

"Every word from your subject comes from the bottom of my heart!" Guo Rong was briefly at a loss for words, then couldn't help but laugh, though his expression quickly returned to solemnity.

To be honest, Liu Chengyou was rather surprised by Guo Rong's performance. When had the Duke of Ying started speaking such fawning, flattering words? In their past interactions as sovereign and subject, Guo Rong had praised Liu Chengyou before, but never quite like this.

Merit surpassing the Three Sovereigns, virtue exceeding the Five Emperors—though in Emperor Liu's view, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were hardly worth much, in the eyes of contemporaries, they remained the paragon of imperial merit and virtue. This was lofty praise indeed. Therefore, hearing Guo Rong's flattery, Emperor Liu was quite pleased.

Such extravagant praise depended on who said it. When a minister like Guo Rong suddenly came out with this, it was rather pleasantly surprising.

The two drank iced watermelon juice together to relieve the summer heat. Looking at Guo Rong, Liu Chengyou said: "The Hexi campaign was fought beautifully. In just one month's time, all of Hexi was recovered, and the Great Han's banner was once again raised over Yang Pass, displaying the might of our Great Han's national power and military prowess. When I heard of it in the Eastern Capital, my heart surged with emotion, and the entire court was overjoyed!"

Guo Rong naturally wouldn't take every word of Emperor Liu's speech at face value, but the attitude the Son of Heaven displayed still put Guo Rong considerably at ease.

"At least I have not failed the heavy trust of Your Majesty and the court!" Guo Rong sighed heavily and said: "It's only a pity that compared to the original plans, there were considerable deviations and unexpected developments, causing setbacks that nearly endangered the entire army!"

Reading between the lines, Emperor Liu immediately understood—Guo Rong could not have been unaware of the criticisms in court, and given his nature, no matter how tempered and steady he had become, that fierce rigidity and sternness could not be changed. The Duke of Ying was clearly dissatisfied with those voices.

At this, Liu Chengyou naturally put on a magnanimous display, waving his hand and saying: "How can we demand perfection in everything? There has never been an unchanging plan. Soldiers have no constant formation, water has no constant shape—adapting to the times and circumstances is what is proper.

Some remarks are best simply ignored. The views of bookish scholars are not worth engaging with. If the Hexi campaign wasn't good enough, then with all the Great Han's wars before and after, with no small number of lost soldiers and fallen generals, wouldn't they all need to be punished?"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

On matters of principle, Guo Rong remained very insistent. He himself could disregard others' criticisms, but he could not tolerate the erasure of the soldiers' bloody achievements. A qualified commander would protect his subordinates and not let the soldiers under his command down.

"However!" Having understood the Emperor's attitude, Guo Rong began to address the matter on its merits, saying solemnly: "Your subject and the generals ultimately underestimated the Uyghurs, harboring arrogance and contempt for the enemy. With the Great Han's strength, we only needed to crush them with overwhelming force, yet instead the vanguard advanced deep alone and nearly fell to the enemy.

Though the Battle of Yanzhi Mountain achieved brilliant results and settled Hexi in a single engagement, Guo Jin and the others fought under extreme hardship, at one point nearly annihilated, losing over half their numbers, with most of the survivors wounded. This was all the fault of your subject's improper arrangements!"

Hearing Guo Rong's summary, his face showing shame, Liu Chengyou naturally played the role of comforter, saying: "Qing need not blame yourself. I am not one to demand perfection. Though the process had some twists and turns, the outcome was good, and I am quite satisfied. The court will not forget the soldiers' merits. The Ministry of War has already arranged the rewards for the troops who recovered Hexi, and implementation has begun. When Wang Yansheng, Guo Jin, and the other officers arrive in the capital, I will hold an imperial banquet to celebrate their achievements!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Guo Rong rose and bowed solemnly.

Seizing the opportunity, Guo Rong probed Liu Chengyou: "May I ask Your Majesty, how do you plan to deal with Wang Yansheng and Guo Jin?"

"Deal with them how?" Liu Chengyou showed a look of surprise, as if he hadn't caught on.

Unable to discern the Emperor's thoughts, Guo Rong still obliquely brought up the matter of the killing of prisoners that had caused such great controversy. At this, Emperor Liu's expression visibly darkened, and he cursed: "Those two truly have audacity that defies heaven—infuriating!"

Then his face changed again, and he said with a light laugh: "Problems that arise on the battlefield are for you, the commander, to handle. How did you punish them at the time?"

Asked this, Guo Rong said: "Eighty strokes of the military rod!"

"Since you have already dealt with it, there's no need for me to inquire further or add additional punishment! I and the court will only handle the aftermath and rewards!" Liu Chengyou said in a relaxed tone.

"With such magnanimity from Your Majesty, how could the soldiers not devote themselves utterly in return!" Guo Rong said with some emotion.

"Soldiers risk life and death to expand our territory—the court must not fail them!"

"What is your view on the Guiyi Army's problem?" Liu Chengyou brought up another matter that displeased him.

"Your subject believes that the problems within the Cao clan can be resolved by themselves. After our army's garrison, the Guasha region is already under the court's control, and with Lu Duoxun's abilities, it can be stabilized. As for Cao Yuanzhong, he is a clever man—he will give the court an accounting!" Guo Rong said.

In the Great Han's plan, Yang Tingzhang was to lead the Guasha forces eastward to coordinate with the court in taking Hexi. However, the results were not entirely smooth. Though Cao Yuanzhong, who held the reins, was determined to submit to the court, the Guiyi Army was ultimately not his alone.

Within both the Guiyi Army and the Cao clan, there were opponents. These people truly had no feelings for the Central Plains or the Great Han, treating Guasha as their private territory and clan property. They said they would receive preferential treatment from the court, but how could the court grant everyone high office, noble rank, and generous salary?

Thus, a group of vested interests banded together to oppose joining the Han, sparking internal conflict within the Guiyi Army. With such a group holding things back and even resisting, Lu Duoxun and Yang Tingzhang naturally encountered difficulties in their mission in Guasha.

Fortunately, Cao Yuanzhong genuinely wished to submit to the Central Plains, and with the support of important civil and military figures like Cao Yuangong, the opposing voices were finally quelled. However, the time lost also perfectly missed the opportunity for a pincer attack. By the time the several thousand reorganized Guiyi troops marched east, the Han army had already surrounded Suzhou.

Though the outcome was satisfactory, the setbacks within the Guiyi Army, when reported to the Eastern Capital, still greatly displeased Emperor Liu. In his view, this was a display of half-heartedness and fence-sitting.

It was only because Cao Yuanzhong's conduct had been consistent throughout that the Emperor's big stick had not already come down. Now, hearing Guo Rong's advice, Emperor Liu agreed—the current situation in Hexi called for stability as the priority.

However, in his heart, he had already made up his mind. Originally, he had not planned to take major action against the Guiyi Army and the Cao clan, but now, in Emperor Liu's plans, the Guiyi Army must be completely dismantled and reorganized, and the Cao clan along with the major families of the Guasha regime must all be relocated inward!