Chapter 1238: Should They Keep Going?

After concluding his inspection tour in Lingzhou, Emperor Liu once again faced a choice: continue the western tour, or turn back home. This expedition had already lasted a full four months, no short amount of time, and had also deviated from its original purpose—from the northern inspection of the frontier passes, winding all the way to the far northwest.

In the field headquarters, quite a few of the civil and military officials accompanying the imperial carriage also suggested to Emperor Liu that the imperial carriage should return to the capital. The reasons they gave were nothing more than the usual few: the Son of Heaven should sit in the capital to reassure the hearts of all within and without, and should not remain long outside the imperial domain—especially not with both the Emperor and the Crown Prince together.

Moreover, the northwest was remote and far-off, and the season had already entered deep winter, with the climate growing increasingly harsh and unfavorable for long travel. The locals all stayed home to avoid the winter, let alone the field headquarters with its large train of men and horses.

If they continued westward into the desolate frontier, the risks of the journey would greatly increase. If anything untoward happened to the Emperor, it would inevitably endanger the state and the altars of grain and earth, affecting the stability of the nation...

When these suggestions were presented before the imperial presence, Emperor Liu's attitude instead became more resolute. Due to the earlier disturbance on the westward journey to Fengsheng, his first reaction was that these high officials and nobles in the field headquarters were once again afraid of the bitter cold of the northwest.

They wanted to go back, but Emperor Liu stubbornly refused to permit it, insisting on grinding them down. In Emperor Liu's view, the entire northwest was under the rule of the Great Han, and the road ahead was smooth and open. On his own national territory, what was there to fear, what was there to worry about?

Their various concerns were, to Emperor Liu, even less worth mentioning. What was this about the Son of Heaven not being able to remain long outside the capital? He had gone on several inspection tours and several personal campaigns—which one had been short in duration?

As for winter, whether it was the southern campaign against Huainan or the northern expedition against the Khitan, he had endured an entire winter through both. No matter how bitterly cold the northwest winter was, could a normal inspection tour possibly be harder or more grueling than marching to war?

As for talk of risk, in Emperor Liu's view, it was merely an excuse from those who craved comfort and ease. Therefore, the more the ministers opposed it, the more resolute he became.

Furthermore, since deciding on the western tour, he had finally made it all the way to Lingzhou. Since Lingzhou was already reached, how could he not continue westward and go see the Hexi Corridor?

The cost of Emperor Liu's inspection tours was by no means low. In this lifetime, he didn't know whether he would ever have a second chance to travel this far. Since he had already come half the way, the remaining road—he would grit his teeth and finish it.

Moreover, the entire great northwest had only been under the rule of the Great Han for a short time. Talk of stability, talk of tranquility—it was still too early for all that. Emperor Liu's inspection tour, walking the ground himself, was not merely to see the scenery of the northwest and fulfill his wish to tread every inch of the realm, but also to dispense grace and awe together to reassure the people. The political significance of this was also something to be taken into account.

And so, having made his decision, Emperor Liu, in front of all his ministers, disregarding their helpless and bitter expressions, directly issued an edict: on the 1st day of the 11th month, the imperial carriage would set forth, continuing the western tour. Moreover, he directly decreed that since they would go, they would go all the way—not turning back until reaching Yang Pass.

However, though the decision was made, practical problems still had to be faced, and the greatest difficulty on the road of the western tour was the weather. Although Emperor Liu was not afraid, even displaying an attitude of man's will conquering heaven, he had ultimately never experienced the winter climate of the northwest firsthand.

Therefore, he still gave the field headquarters two extra days to procure various supplies for the road, especially cold-weather gear. This task was given to Li Ye, who conducted a massive purchase in Lingzhou. For this purpose, they bought up even the materials that many common folk had stored for their own winter survival, and a batch was also requisitioned from the official granaries and storehouses.

Although according to Emperor Liu's wishes, all transactions were paid for by the field headquarters, it still constituted a de facto disturbance to the local officials and people. Moreover, due to the change of route for the western tour, the expenses of the field headquarters far exceeded imagination. The budget previously set for this inspection tour was mostly spent by the time they reached Lingzhou.

It could well be imagined that once they formally set out on the western tour, if they needed to procure more supplies, they would likely have to write IOUs to the local authorities...

According to the edict, without any delay, they set forth again on the 1st day of the 11th month, heading toward even more distant territories. However, this time, not everyone accompanied the procession.

Crown Prince Liu Yang was left behind by Emperor Liu, tasked to go in his stead to inspect the Longyou Circuit to the southwest. Among the four circuits of the northwest, aside from the Guannei Circuit which served as the foundation, the Longyou Circuit was the one the court had administered the longest.

After all, it was from Duke Wang Jing of Bao that the territory had been expanded and brought under administration, and with the continuous encroachment and advancement since the Kaibao era, the territory had expanded a great swath further westward. Due to the division of the Tibetans, who were powerless to resist, it could be said that the Great Han's power west of Longyou had already surpassed that of the height of the Tang dynasty—both in terms of territorial extent and influence. After all, there was no longer a unified and powerful opponent threatening them on the plateau.

As for the achievements of recent years, one couldn't just listen to reports. Liu Yang was to go on behalf of Emperor Liu to inspect, to see with his own eyes, where the current limits of the Great Han's territory lay.

At the same time, the Emperor's eleventh son, Liu Xiao, was also left behind by Emperor Liu, the reason being that Emperor Liu doted on his son. Liu Xiao was only eleven years old, and his constitution had always been frail. Through the previous months of travel, he had endured without complaint, but Emperor Liu still worried that if he continued following along, he wouldn't be able to hold up. So he left him in Lingzhou to recuperate.

As for the others, they had no such treatment. They could only grit their teeth, endure the northwest's wild sand and fierce winds, and bury their heads as they followed the imperial carriage onward, silently pressing ahead.

From Lingzhou they went south, advancing along the upper reaches of the Yellow River, crossing the river at Zhongwei County. Zhongwei County was a major thoroughfare on the upper Yellow River, but it had been abandoned for a long time, and it was only in the past decade or so that the court had re-established officials to administer it. Ferry crossings dotted the area, which was also the origin of the later "Nine Ferries of the Yellow River."

After passing Zhongwei, they went straight west, following the edge of the desert, tracing along the Great Wall, hurrying toward Liangzhou. There was little delay and no interest in lingering. Everywhere one looked was desolation—fine enough in ordinary times, but in this winter season, the great desert and Gobi could only make one keep one's distance.

In the narrow Hexi Corridor, there was nothing but wind and sand. The dry, cold air and the biting, freezing temperatures made one extremely uncomfortable. The caravans and camel trains of merchants that past memorials had reported—none of them were to be seen at all.

Perhaps it was a matter of bad timing, but in any case, Emperor Liu found it monotonous. And just as the ministers had reminded him, the western tour was not easy going at all.

By the time they arrived at Gucang, the seat of Liangzhou, it was already mid-11th month. Of the more than eight thousand people accompanying the imperial carriage, nearly three in ten had collapsed or fallen ill, and over a hundred had even died, mostly from not acclimating to the local conditions. Livestock had also suffered greatly—many frozen to death or frostbitten...

Facts proved that before the great power of nature, the strength of an individual was far too insignificant. Just an ordinary northwestern climate had cost Emperor Liu's field headquarters this many losses!

And Emperor Liu himself was equally uncomfortable. He had always been sensitive to cold, and with his pair of chronically cold legs, even doing his best to stay warm, it was in truth a journey of suffering all the way.

It was only after arriving in Liangzhou, with its city walls, its houses, and its cotton beds, that he felt somewhat better. Lu Duoxun, the Administration Commissioner of Hexi, was very considerate, arranging every matter properly and in place, saving much trouble, and earning a word of praise from Emperor Liu.

Emperor Liu couldn't help but draw a comparison between this western tour of his and Emperor Yang of Sui's western campaign against the Tuyuhun, and then he had to sigh—that man truly was a tyrant. Several hundred thousand men marching through Qinghai, climbing mountains and crossing ridges—that was a true journey through desolate peril, with countless dead and wounded. Compared to that, Emperor Liu felt that he himself was still the more rational one...

However, after arriving in Liangzhou, the old question was placed before Emperor Liu: should he continue onward or not? One had to know that from Gucang to Yang Pass, even the straight-line distance was still about thirteen hundred li.

One had to admit that after experiencing it firsthand, faced with practical realities, Emperor Liu ultimately hesitated after all. But if he were to retract his order and abandon the western tour, where would his dignity be? Wouldn't his earlier declaration of "not turning back until Yang Pass" become empty words? Wouldn't all the hardship and suffering he had endured before be wasted?

But if he continued westward, the officers and men of the field headquarters and the civil and military officials accompanying the carriage would likely stir up some waves again. Even if they dared not show it, they would surely have thoughts in their hearts.

At the same time, Emperor Liu's own legs, with their throbbing dull pain, were also reminding him, dissuading him...