Chapter 1185: The Crown Prince's Understanding

"In the northwest, the court has both heavy troops and so many capable ministers and famed generals, yet they are utterly helpless against this scourge of bandits!" After a long moment, Liu Yang's tone could not help but carry a hint of indignation.

Seeing this, Liu Xu came to the defense of the northwest's military and civil officials: "It's not that the northwest's civil and military officers aren't doing their utmost, but that they have their own difficulties and hardships! Take Commander-in-Chief Yang, for instance—in the years he's been stationed at Yulin, the region has remained fairly stable. Bandits are suppressed when they appear, unrest is quelled when it arises. As for the bandit problem, it's a problem for the entire northwest.

It's not as if no one above or below has proposed fundamental solutions. For example, General Kang Zaiyu of Lingzhou once suggested launching a comprehensive crackdown and purge against those tribes suspected of colluding with bandits—but this met with opposition from officials such as Wu Tingzuo and Wang You!"

"Since the root lies in those tribes harboring divided loyalties, striking against them is precisely the right course. This is the strategy of removing the firewood from under the cauldron, the method of cutting off the source at its root—why should it be obstructed?" Liu Yang raised his question.

"The difficulty is still in distinguishing between them!" Liu Xu explained: "After all, among the western barbarians, a portion have submitted to the court with utter sincerity, while the majority are neutral, grudgingly accepting the court's rule. If we were to expand the scope of the strike to target the few, we would only risk stirring up turmoil across the entire northwest. Places like Hexi and Yulin have only recently submitted to the court—it would be unwise to act rashly on a grand scale."

Hearing this, Liu Yang subconsciously nodded, feeling there was some reason to it, but that didn't ease his displeasure. Over all these years, Emperor Liu had instilled no small amount of ideas into him.

"However, how can the court of the Great Han refrain from acting against these bandits for fear of damaging the vase? If this continues, where will the court's authority stand, and where will the government's dignity be?" Liu Yang said coldly, a hint of killing intent faintly visible in his eyes: "Since some tribes harbor treacherous intentions, how can we allow them to roam free? Otherwise, if this continues, great chaos will still arise!"

Seeing Liu Yang's righteous indignation, Liu Xu said gently: "The bandit problem today has already been greatly suppressed compared to a few years ago. As long as we give it time and the government intensifies its crackdown, things will only grow more peaceful from here. So long as we keep the barbarian problem under control, the northwest will eventually settle into tranquility!"

Hearing this, Liu Yang shook his head.

"You still feel angry?" Seeing his expression, Liu Xu couldn't help but ask.

Lifting his eyes to meet his elder brother's gaze, Liu Yang slowly shook his head: "Anger I certainly have, but what I feel more is worry!"

Noticing the slight confusion in Liu Xu's eyes, Liu Yang explained: "A few scattered horse bandits raiding and plundering merely disturb public order and disrupt trade routes—yet the court cannot even suppress them.

If this continues, it will inevitably weaken the authority of the court and the government. What's more worrying is—what if someone gathers a crowd to rebel and raises the banner of revolt? If the same situation were to arise, what then?"

Seeing Liu Yang's thoughts turn in this direction, Liu Xu was startled at first, then also shook his head: "Surely it won't come to that! Bandits and robbers are still a matter of public order. If anyone dares to rebel and openly defy the court, they will inevitably face the government's full-force suppression. The difference between the two—even those barbarians should understand it!"

"Since the barbarians of the northwest haven't fully submitted to the court, and there's no shortage of those who harbor hostility, it's hard to guarantee there won't be someone bold enough to defy heaven!" Liu Yang said: "If such a situation truly arose, how would we deal with it?"

To this question, Liu Xu thought seriously for a moment, then fell silent. A contemplative expression also appeared on his handsome face. After a long while, Liu Xu looked up and said: "From this perspective, the bandit problem in the northwest truly cannot be taken lightly!"

"Regardless, the civil and military officials of the northwest must adopt forceful measures against this situation—they cannot allow it to run rampant!" Liu Yang said resolutely: "Those tribes harboring divided loyalties must be suppressed, must be exterminated—there can be no softness.

Under the court's rule, there is no place for such traitors! As for the barbarians—they must be enticed with benefits, but even more so, they must be awed with might. Otherwise, they will only grow more reckless and unrestrained, believing the court must rely on them to govern the northwest.

Hesitating and looking back and forth for the sake of temporary peace will only leave deeper troubles for later. When they finally erupt, the court may have to pay several times—even dozens of times—the cost to resolve them!"

Liu Yang spoke these words with such finality that even Liu Xu was momentarily stunned. He sighed inwardly—this second brother of his, the Crown Prince of the Great Han, seemed to already possess a measure of Emperor Liu's bearing...

After a moment's deliberation, Liu Xu suddenly clasped his hands in salute and said solemnly: "What Your Highness says is reasonable!"

Seeing this, Liu Yang was briefly taken aback, then broke into a smile. He lightly patted Liu Xu's hand and said: "Elder Brother need not be so formal! I learned this from Father as well—if he were to learn of the situation in the northwest, he would hardly tolerate it either!"

The imposing figure of Emperor Liu surfaced in his mind, and Liu Xu had to admit: "Indeed! Against those barbarians who collude with bandits and harbor ill intentions, Father would naturally not hesitate to govern with an iron fist!"

"It's time to submit a memorial!" Liu Xu said.

Looking at Liu Xu, Liu Yang said: "Elder Brother, you may include my thoughts in your memorial as well!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xu glanced at Liu Yang and shook his head: "I have already reported this matter to you—it should be you who presents it!"

"Additionally, there is one more matter that cannot be overlooked!" Liu Xu continued, his expression growing more cautious: "Recent indications from various sources suggest that behind the bandit troubles in the northwest, there may well be the hand of the Khitan from beyond the northern frontier!"

To this, Liu Yang appeared far more composed, saying: "It seems that once the Khitan finished their campaigns in the Western Regions, they've begun turning their attention to the Great Han."

The situation in the Western Regions had ultimately developed in a direction Emperor Liu did not favor. The Kara-Khanids and Liao had ceased hostilities, reportedly having signed a peace agreement—Liao ceded Kucha and the lands west of it to the Kara-Khanids.

For Liao, this was undeniably a good thing—they escaped the quagmire of war while retaining a fertile land they had originally planned to abandon. At the same time, they withdrew Yelu Xiezhen and more than twenty thousand troops, while dispatching their trusted minister Yelu Yilaiha and Southern Chancellery Chancellor Yelu Sha to garrison the region, appearing ready to carefully manage the Western Regions.

Faced with such a situation, Emperor Liu naturally would not remain indifferent. Affairs in the Western Regions were tied to the situation in Hexi. The Great Han had watched from the sidelines for so many years—it was time to step in and test the depths of these murky waters.

As for direct warfare, Emperor Liu had no such intention for now, nor was he so impulsive. Thus, not long ago, he received for the third time the former Uyghur envoy—now a Han army officer—Pule, granting him the position of Prefect of Yizhou to help him return to his homeland.

Of course, Yizhou was still in Khitan hands, making Pule's prefecture a command with no troops—a general without an army. What Emperor Liu gave him was not just a title, but also substantial funds and grain, along with permission to rally warriors from all the various tribes in Helong to venture into the Western Regions.

After all, there were still several hundred thousand people of various ethnicities there, including no small number of Uyghur remnants hoping to restore their kingdom. The Khitan wanted a period of peace to recover—and Emperor Liu was determined not to allow it.

On the other hand, Liao's failure to abandon the Western Regions and withdraw from there was not necessarily a bad thing for the Great Han. The more Liao spread itself thin, the more dispersed its strength became, making it easier for the Great Han to seize opportunities. Though this was relative, with the strategic passes and river fortresses held firmly, the Great Han had already gained the overall strategic upper hand.

"In recent years, border troops rarely venture north to raid, but among the horse bandits beyond the frontier, there's no shortage of Han either. After all, the Khitan border the Great Han directly—it's hardly surprising they'd resort to covert means!" Liu Yang continued.

"However, if the Khitan are truly involved, then the court must be even more vigilant and attentive to the situation in the northwest!" Liu Xu said.

"Mm!" Liu Yang nodded, looking at Liu Xu: "Elder Brother, will you return to the residence first to see Sister-in-law and your nephew, or go straight to the palace?"

"I'll go to the palace first, of course, to pay respects to Father and Mother!" Liu Xu answered without hesitation.

"Then let us go to the audience together!" Liu Yang said.

Their carriage traveled eastward, passing the Western Market of Luoyang, when suddenly they heard an unusual commotion—among it, someone was shouting: "Murder! Murder!"

The Liu brothers naturally heard it as well. They exchanged glances, both noting the surprise in each other's eyes. In recent years, public security across the Great Han had already become quite good—this was evident from the number of criminals executed each year. In the fifth year of Kaibao, only one hundred and thirty-five criminals were executed nationwide as reported to the Ministry of Justice.

Murder cases, though serious in nature, were hardly enough to startle the brothers. What surprised them was that a murder had occurred in the capital. Generally speaking, crime in the capital—especially murder—was relatively rare.

Lifting the carriage curtain and poking his head out, Liu Fang, who was riding on horseback outside, saw there was excitement to be had and could hardly resist joining in—but Liu Yang shouted him to a halt. Liu Fang was naturally displeased, but faced with Liu Yang's resolute gaze, he held himself back.

"Go see what's happening," Liu Yang instructed Murong Defeng.

"Yes!" Murong Defeng acknowledged and spurred his horse away.