Chapter 1230: Grumbles Along the Western Tour

At White Water Lake, the meeting between Emperor Liu and Yelu Jing lasted a full ten days. During those ten days, the two sides went from sharp confrontation to wary vigilance, then gradually eased, until they outwardly set aside their guard and exchanged cordially.

However, more than half of that time was spent hunting, which did live up to the name of a "hunting meeting." From start to finish, Emperor Liu loosed only a single arrow—and it struck true, killing a deer and securing an auspicious omen—after which he put his bow away.

In the remaining time, the exchange activities gradually grew richer: drinking and feasting to their hearts' content, appreciating each other's ethnic songs and dances, and watching competitions in horsemanship, archery, wrestling, and gladiatorial bouts...

It was not until the fifteenth day of the ninth month that both emperors, having enjoyed themselves thoroughly, finally considered ending the meeting. Although, apart from satisfying Emperor Liu's and Yelu Jing's mutual curiosity about each other, no substantive agreements or pacts were reached.

As for relations between the two states, beneath the surface of song and dance, they did not ease at all—rather, they gradually deteriorated because of the attitudes each side revealed. Ten years of peaceful coexistence had already been long enough for the Great Han.

And this meeting ultimately ended in a bloody fashion. Before parting, Yelu Jing proposed that each side select warriors for a live combat bout. Emperor Liu had no reason to shy away from battle, so he agreed directly, having Yang Yanzhao lead the five hundred elite cavalry who had accompanied the hunt into battle against the Liao army.

It was a head-on confrontation of equal numbers—a thousand riders on each side, roaming and galloping within a battlefield five li across, probing and grappling, testing the combat capabilities of their respective armies.

It was also a clash of evenly matched forces. What Yelu Jing sent out were the elite of his personal tent guards, superior in soldiers, equipment, and horses alike.

The Liao army's advantages were obvious: their refined mounted archery, their fierce skills in fighting on horseback, and their hunting-and-coordinating tactics that were nearly instinctive.

Of course, if one thought these alone could defeat the elite cavalry the Great Han had painstakingly cultivated, that was impossible as well. The Han cavalry was equally well-trained, and their tactics and methods had long since been systematized.

Moreover, when the Great Han brought its own advantages into play, the results were quite striking. Take the use of mounted crossbows, for instance—these were practically melee weapons. No matter how superb your horsemanship, if you closed in and got hit by a volley, you'd end up lying dead.

After suffering losses, the Liao riders in the battle no longer dared to engage the Han cavalry in close combat, and switched to hit-and-run harassment...

In that confrontation, after testing tactics and probing combat power, both sides chose to stop at the point of contact. The Liao army suffered nearly a hundred casualties, and the Han cavalry exceeded eighty—roughly a draw, you could say.

But after it ended, Yelu Jing's expression was somewhat grim. He had not expected that, with equal forces, his Great Liao elite cavalry would be unable to suppress the Han cavalry—and would instead absorb more casualties.

This was somewhat hard for him to accept. The Han army's progress truly exceeded imagination. One had to remember that during the northern expedition back then, under all sorts of adverse conditions, the Liao cavalry had still held the upper hand over the Han cavalry...

Afterwards, Zhao Kuangyin suggested that this clash had exposed our army's tactics, and feared it would arouse the Liao army's vigilance and prompt them to make targeted improvements in response.

Emperor Liu agreed with this, but took it in stride. Everything has two sides—while it certainly exposed some of our own secrets, it equally probed the Liao army's situation and verified the results of the Great Han's cavalry development.

At the same time, compared to Liao, the Great Han had far too many cards up its sleeve, too deep a foundation. And its greatest advantage was not those tactics and methods, nor the strong bows and hard crossbows.

By now, relative to Liao, the Great Han's abundant national strength, vast population, and comprehensive mobilization system... these were the true foundation of Emperor Liu's contempt for all and his certainty of victory.

The meeting concluded, and each side dispersed. White Water Lake, which had been bustling for a time, returned to its former scene. The meeting of the two emperors of north and south had a tremendous impact on the lives of the Hu and Han commoners there, especially delaying their preparations for winter.

The armor dispersed, the gleam of blades faded, and merchants traveling north and south gathered once more, sparking a trading boom. Amid that fervent atmosphere, few could notice the blood that that exhibition-style battle had added to the grasslands beyond the northern frontier.

Seeing the Han and Liao emperors part as pleased hosts and guests, more of those who profited from the peace between the two states might still hope that future relations could grow even more harmonious, the border more tranquil, and their own safety and livelihoods more secure.

But clearly, that was impossible. Emperor Liu might not have noticed yet that although Han-Liao peace had lasted only ten years, most officials and commoners had already grown content with the status quo.

If he were to launch another massive northern expedition, compared to ten years ago, it would be difficult to obtain that same degree of popular fervor. Future wars might no longer be for vengeance, for dignity, or for recovering lost territory—what they would better reflect was the emperor's ambition, the court's long-term strategy, and the enterprising spirit of the ambitious...

With what feelings Yelu Jing returned north, Emperor Liu did not care. He simply, calmly as ever, concluded his inspection of Shanyang and turned westward, beginning his journey of inspecting the northwest.

The western inspection route basically followed the Great Wall, passing through the border zone between Han and Liao. The terrain was high plateau, full of rocky crags and ravines, with rugged travel—and with late autumn turning to early winter, the going was far harder than before.

It had to be said that for Emperor Liu, long accustomed to a life of ease, this was also an ordeal. Of course, this bit of hardship did not dampen Emperor Liu's enthusiasm for the inspection tour.

The first stop was Shengzhou, roughly three hundred li away. With the large column on the march—even with many carts and horses—the poor traffic conditions meant it took a full twelve days.

By the time they reached Fengzhou at the northern end of the Hetao, it was already early October. In winter, beyond the northern frontier, the cold wind raged. This was likely the northernmost place Emperor Liu had ever personally visited in his life. Though it was only early winter, the grim weather still let Emperor Liu experience just how harsh the northern climate was.

To be frank, Emperor Liu could barely stand the weather. Unless necessary, he spent most of his time hiding inside his imperial carriage. Yet even without being exposed to much wind, his lips still cracked.

His lips were a peculiar red—a deep red. After applying some medicinal ointment, they looked even more moist. But the discomfort behind that "rosy glow" was something only Emperor Liu himself could appreciate. Diverting to inspect the northwest had not been his original plan; it was an idea that had only occurred to him after entering Shanyang. This spur-of-the-moment decision made things hard for more than just Emperor Liu.

The civil and military officials accompanying him, as well as the guards protecting the imperial person, all added layers of clothing. In this regard, the field headquarters was well prepared—while at Shanyang, they had even made emergency purchases of a batch of wool and hides.

Even so, the difficult journey and harsh weather bred complaints within the field headquarters. The army fared better—with strict discipline and tight control, any grievances were kept bottled up inside.

But those accustomed to the comfortable life of the Central Plains found this crude, bitter-cold land pure suffering. Among them were accompanying nobles and officials who complained about the hardship, deliberately dawdled, and delayed the march.

Seeing such scenes and hearing such voices, Emperor Liu's temper naturally flared. He directly ordered Zhang Dejun to arrest all those full of complaints who were poisoning the atmosphere of the field headquarters.

Among them were a few officials, but more were sons of nobles. At this, Emperor Liu's temper turned into outright ruthlessness. He ordered those people gathered together, bound with ropes, and made to march on foot.

Since you have complaints, then by all means complain louder! Can't endure hardship? Then I'll make sure you get your fill of it! In this environment, in this atmosphere, a hint of Emperor Liu's innate cruelty showed itself.

Analyzing his psychology, the most direct portrayal was: I, the Emperor, haven't even complained of hardship or fatigue, yet you ministers have started grumbling. Are you complaining about the weather, about the roads—or about me, your Emperor?

Originally, Emperor Liu had wanted to go even further—to make those people swim a lap in the Yellow River. It was only at the Crown Prince Liu Yang's persuasion that he abandoned the idea.

At the same time, another who had fallen into Emperor Liu's hands this time was the Ninth Prince Liu Shu. This boy had shown a pleasure-loving nature since childhood, had never endured much hardship, and was moreover doted on by his mother, Consort Fu. How could he withstand such an ordeal?

He dawdled, unwilling to press on, crying and wailing that he wanted to return to Luoyang. Emperor Liu, angered, only made him cry all the harder. Though he was not bound with ropes and made to walk, he was given ten lashes. The guards hesitated, not daring to strike, so Emperor Liu himself delivered the ten lashes, beating Liu Shu until he howled and begged for mercy repeatedly.

In truth, Emperor Liu had held back his strength. Otherwise, ten solid lashes would have made it very difficult for Liu Shu's fourteen-year-old frame to endure.

And after that storm passed, no one in the entire field headquarters dared utter another word of complaint.