Chapter 1213: Return to Jinyang

At the beginning of autumn, at the foot of Yangtou Mountain, Emperor Liu led his entourage in a solemn memorial ceremony. The majestic and weighty sounds of ritual music echoed at the mountain's base, offering comfort to the spirits of those who had died.

After the memorial ceremony concluded, Emperor Liu led his people up the mountain, personally setting foot on the battlefield where fierce fighting had once occurred. Over twenty years had passed, enough time for earth-shaking changes to take place. Of the former battlefield, only a few crude remnants remained, and one could only rely on vague memories to match against the old scenery. Even so, as the years flowed by, even those few remaining traces would eventually be covered by dense vegetation.

"A temple could be erected here, with local officials and commoners tending to it, offering incense at the proper times. That would count as a token of Our and the court's regard!" After a brief stroll, Emperor Liu gave his instructions.

"Your servant will immediately send a directive to Gaoping County, and before this winter arrives, the temple shall be raised!" Uncle Li, the imperial relative attending at His side, promptly acknowledged.

"Do not undertake any grand construction!" Glancing at Li Ye, Emperor Liu did not forget to caution.

"Yes!"

"The dense trees and thick grass make it hard to forget the scenes of those days!" Emperor Liu could not help but sigh with emotion: "That Geng Chongmei back then taught Me a lesson, at least making Me understand that in all matters, one must ultimately rely on strength to have one's say!"

"Your Majesty, Your servant still remembers when he was ordered to strike the enemy back then—what soaring spirits those were!" Sun Li, as one of the accompanying ministers, had also participated in that battle, and now spoke from deep feeling.

As one of the veteran generals under Emperor Liu's early command, Sun Li lacked any particularly outstanding ability. He relied entirely on brute courage, plus obedience, and had always served as a senior general of the imperial army. However, as the years advanced and his strength daily declined, that once defiant Commander had also entered his twilight years.

"Sun Li, We still remember how, for the merit of slaying a general and seizing his banner, your nephew Sun Han and Yang Ye once had quite a dispute!" A trace of reminiscence showed on Emperor Liu's face: "The great battle at Luancheng, fighting to the death with entrails spilling—a glorious death indeed!"

"It is kind of Your Majesty to still remember this old servant's nephew!" At the mention of this, a look of grief surfaced on Sun Li's aged face as he sighed in response.

"Sun Han's conduct also moved Me deeply!" Emperor Liu asked: "Did Sun Han leave any descendants behind?"

"Alas, my nephew lived twenty years without even tasting the flavor of a woman..." Sun Li shook his head, speaking in crude jest. Noticing the gazes of those around him after he finished, he realized his lapse and hastily begged forgiveness: "Your servant spoke rashly and out of turn—please punish me, Your Majesty!"

"Haha!" Emperor Liu naturally would not mind, saying: "Your words are honest. We forgive your breach of decorum!"

Sun Li continued: "This old servant has transferred his second grandson to Sun Han's line, to continue his branch of the family. Even the cap this old servant wears on his head owes something to him!"

"Make a note of it. After returning to the capital, bestow rewards upon Sun Han's descendants. Noble ranks are hard to confer, so give more in money and grain!" Emperor Liu instructed Crown Prince Liu Yang.

"As commanded!" Liu Yang acknowledged.

Hearing Sun Li repeatedly call himself "this old servant," and noticing the white hair at his temples, Emperor Liu said: "How time flies! You too have grown old!"

It had already been several years since Sun Li retired from the military, originally because of age and recurring illness that led him to resign. Of course, perhaps he had also seen the tide of generational renewal within the army. Sun Li said: "One must concede to old age!"

After appreciating the surrounding scenery a while longer, Emperor Liu said: "The old hands who marched out from Hedong are dwindling day by day. We stand here now, but it is only a pity that Duke Wei has passed, Duke Ji died early, Duke Ying lies gravely ill, Han Tong guards his post, and Yang Ye is at the frontier—only you, Sun Li, remain here to sigh with Me!"

"By the way, Li Wanchao is currently serving as Prefect of Luzhou, is he not?" Emperor Liu asked.

Among the early "King Zhou faction" generals, Li Wanchao could not be counted as the most famous, but he belonged to the core strength. The sharp and disciplined army he had once led had also accumulated numerous battle merits.

Back then, after withdrawing from Fengzhou, Emperor Liu had permitted him to rest and recuperate in Taiyuan for two years. Later he was reinstated and appointed Prefect of Luzhou. Now, Li Wanchao was already sixty-six years old—old but still robust.

Hearing Emperor Liu ask about him, Liu Yang took the initiative to answer: "Marquis of Jiuyuan is a capable general in marching to war and expanding territory, and in governing prefectures and counties, nurturing the people, he is a competent administrator. In these years at Luzhou, his official reputation and public standing have been very good. Your servant has heard that among the common folk, he is called 'Marquis Li the Kind'..."

"It is not easy to grow old!" Emperor Liu could not help but smile. He looked around and instructed: "Let the procession move out! Send word to Luzhou that there is no need to prepare a welcome—just have Li Wanchao come to the field headquarters. We wish to see him!"

"Yes!"

The imperial procession traveled north, passing Luzhou and continuing northward, essentially following the route Emperor Liu had taken when leading his army south all those years ago—retracing the journey anew. After more than twenty years of development, roads and transportation had been greatly improved, and those that were damaged or narrow had been repaired.

Still, no matter how things changed, some familiar sights remained. Of course, there was no shortage of stops along the way, and Emperor Liu experienced much reflection and reminiscence. By the time Emperor Liu arrived at Taiyuan, it was already late July, and the autumn feeling was growing stronger.

After all, this was the land where the dragon arose, and it received no small amount of attention from the court. The mighty city of Jinyang still stood by the banks of the Fen River, enduring through the ages. A full thirteen years had passed since His last visit here, during the previous northern inspection tour.

That said, over these years Emperor Liu had made several inspection tours and visited many places, yet to visit Taiyuan again had taken such a long interval. Clearly, with the Great Han's current territory, his wish to tread every prefecture and circuit of the Great Han could ultimately only remain a desire.

Hedong was the land where three dynasties had risen. From the Later Tang, to the Later Jin, and now to the Great Han, its uniquely favored advantages had made it the deepest foundation for the Li, Shi, and Liu families in their struggles for the realm.

However, as mentioned before, sustained exertion had produced three dynasties but also nearly exhausted the potential of one or two generations. By the time Gaozu Liu Zhiyuan seized the realm, several hundred thousand soldiers and civilians had migrated into Henan, plunging Hedong into its weakest period in half a century.

To this day, many households in the capital region, though their registered origins have changed, all come from Hedong and maintain countless ties to it. During Liu Chong's administration, Hedong's development was severely restricted—even counting the southern regions of Hezhong, Jin, and Jiang, the entire circuit's population did not exceed 270,000 households.

Only after Liu Chong was relieved of his post and surrendered his authority, and the court took direct control of Hedong, did its pace of recovery and development return to normal. Supplemented by court support, after seventeen years, Hedong finally saw the reappearance of its former prosperity and abundance.

Especially in the Jinzhong basin, goods were plentiful and the people prosperous, with dense population—connecting to Shanyang in the north, Heluo in the south, and Hebei in the east. Although geographically it sat in a kind of "encirclement," in the north-central part of the Great Han, Hedong's political, economic, and military status had all been strengthened. Like the Taihang Mountains, Hedong was the backbone of the Great Han Empire, of pivotal importance.

According to the previous census, Hedong's entire circuit had seen its population rise to 530,000 households—fully double what it had been. Of these, Taiyuan Prefecture's jurisdiction alone held over 70,000 households, and Jinyang was a great city with a population exceeding 100,000.

If one were to rank the Great Han's current cities by political, economic, and population weight, Jinyang could still squeeze into the top ten.