Chapter 1241: Many Reflections atop Gucang's Walls

Emperor Liu not only issued another edict halting the western tour, but also stopped mentioning the return journey altogether, simply postponing it and letting the entire field headquarters settle in comfortably at Liangzhou for the winter.

He even sent someone to Longyou Circuit with an edict for Crown Prince Liu Yang, telling him to take good care of himself, mind his health, and not brave the cold or take risks.

At the same time, he ordered men to head west, summoning Wang Yansheng, Guo Jin, and the principal officials of Guasha and Gansu to Liangzhou for consultations on governance. Perhaps spending a winter in Liangzhou could equally serve to reassure the people and consolidate rule.

Of course, Emperor Liu also harbored another plan in his heart — to wait until this winter passed, when the ice and snow melted and the bitter cold eased, then set out again. How could the Emperor lightly break a promise once spoken!

For now, others could use the weather as an excuse, and he could show consideration, understanding, and accept their counsel. But once the climate warmed, transport revived, and roads opened, when he then issued the edict to march west, he would like to see what excuses remained!

At root, Emperor Liu, now approaching forty, had a temperament and disposition already set in stone — it could not be changed.

The north wind raged and howled, making the military banners and dragon flags atop Gucang's walls flap noisily, even the flagpoles themselves loosening and swaying. Though the fierce wind was strong, Emperor Liu standing atop the wall remained unmoved; though the wind was urgent, it was not the creaking and groaning that vexed him most.

Lu Duoxun stood nearby, reading his expression, and noticing Emperor Liu's look, summoned an officer and whispered an order; the man quickly went to find tools to secure the poles.

"Compared to Fengzhou, Liangzhou has a completely different character!" Standing against the wind atop Gucang's northern wall, Emperor Liu sighed to himself: "When I was in Fengzhou, I once thought that was the most impoverished and desolate place in the Great Han, and so I believed the whole realm was within reach. Now having experienced it firsthand, I still underestimated the Hexi Corridor's winter..."

Hearing Emperor Liu's lament, Lu Duoxun spoke up: "If Your Majesty toured in spring or autumn, the full splendor of Hexi could be seen!"

"The timing is simply unfortunate!" Emperor Liu smiled slightly, with an air of having already made peace with it, turning to look at Lu Duoxun: "Minister Lu, back when you were ordered to envoy to the Western Regions, you also traveled the Hexi Corridor, and likewise in the depths of winter. At that time the northwest was incomplete, with nearly all of Hexi in the hands of the Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Khitan.

Though I heard your report on that western journey, combined with my own experience now, that original mission must have been far more difficult and dangerous along the way!"

Emperor Liu's mention of those past events stirred Lu Duoxun's own reflections, a trace of reminiscence surfacing on his gaunt features as he replied: "In those days I was young and bold, wishing to emulate Zhang Qian in visiting distant lands, but only after truly setting foot on the western road and entering Hexi did I feel ashamed. Of those who accompanied me, three in ten perished on the Hexi Corridor.

Fortunately, the Great Han under Your Majesty's leadership had already grown strong, and the Tibetans, Uyghurs, and various barbarian tribes along the way dared not harass the envoy at will. Still, it was only after wintering in Liangzhou that we set out again the following year. That was also the beginning of my familiarity with Liangzhou and Gucang City..."

"That must be fifteen or sixteen years now!" Emperor Liu said.

Lu Duoxun nodded, flattering: "Fifteen years in the blink of an eye — had Your Majesty not raised it, I would not have realized so much time had passed!"

From Lu Duoxun's words, one could sense genuine emotion; those memories and experiences were indeed profound for him. That was not only the beginning of Lu Duoxun's adventures in the northwest, but also a new starting point for his rise in officialdom.

And ever since his successful return from the western mission, bringing back intelligence on Hexi and the Western Regions, a map, and the introduction of cotton seeds — relying on these merits and labors, in the years that followed, Lu Duoxun's career, while not exactly soaring to the heavens, advanced steadily with smooth sailing.

At present, Lu Duoxun was only thirty-six, already holding the post of Administration Commissioner — absolutely young and accomplished. Though Hexi was remote, its military value was extremely high, and the opening of the Silk Road carried enormous economic significance as well.

Among the Great Han's various frontiers, the Hexi and Shanyang Circuits could be spoken of together, but what drew more attention and received the Emperor's focus was still the Hexi Corridor. This was due to both historical and cultural reasons, as well as Emperor Liu's own strong subjective will.

And for Lu Duoxun, this was also a place where achievements were easier to make and merit easier to establish. The Great Han's territory was now so vast, with over a thousand prefectures and counties — how many places could enjoy Emperor Liu's constant attention? That was the greatest advantage of holding office in Hexi. Though admittedly remote, for a man as career-driven as Lu Duoxun, treatment and environment mattered not at all.

In the years since recovering Hexi, Lu Duoxun had first pacified Guasha, and Yang Tingzhang's earlier extermination of Uyghur remnants and expansion into Qinghai had involved Lu Duoxun's auxiliary planning.

Now, formally seated as the Administration Commissioner of Hexi, managing campaigns, consolidating gains, and suppressing dissent, Lu Duoxun's room to maneuver had grown even larger. Of course, for Lu Duoxun, the mere post of Hexi Administration Commissioner could not satisfy his ambitions — it was far from his peak. Seated in Hexi while watching the court, waiting to enter as chancellor and preside over state affairs in the Hall of State Affairs — that was his greatest and most long-term goal.

Moreover, Lu Duoxun could see hope, with a clear goal set before him. In the more than twenty years of Emperor Liu's reign, the principle that chancellors must rise from provincial posts had been repeatedly emphasized and genuinely practiced.

In the seventh year of Kaibao's court changes, whether Zhao Pu, Song Qi, or Li Ye — all three had been promoted from local posts. The most representative was Zhao Pu, and the one Lu Duoxun benchmarked himself against was precisely Zhao Pu.

What made Zhao Pu worthy of being chancellor and head of the Hall of State Affairs? Aside from his early credentials, it was chiefly his achievements in the southwest — pacifying the people, soothing the barbarians, and expanding territory. And Lu Duoxun judged that had he been in that position, he would have done no worse than Zhao Pu.

Zhao Pu's opportunity for takeoff was in Chuanshu; then Lu Duoxun's starting point for promotion was the northwest! After all, he had deep roots here, having formed his own circle of influence, with considerable sway across all four northwestern circuits — accumulated over fifteen years, and this would be the foundation of support for his path into the court.

"Of all of Hexi, Gucang City has the longest history and the deepest cultural heritage!" Emperor Liu said, stroking Gucang's rough city walls as if caressing a lover.

"Indeed!" Lu Duoxun, learned and widely read, immediately said: "Ever since Emperor Wu of the Former Han opened the Western Regions and established the four commanderies of Hexi, Gucang has always been the center of Hexi — for a thousand years and more, so it has remained. In times of peace, east-west traffic flowed and merchants never ceased; in times of chaos, warlords rose and kings and princes proclaimed themselves. Gucang City can be said to have recorded over a thousand years of Hexi's historical vicissitudes..."

"In the past, I could only see records of Gucang, of Gan and Liang, in historical texts and memorials!" Emperor Liu said: "I still remember that in the early days when I pushed for western expansion, many people opposed it for various reasons. Speaking of Liangzhou, in their descriptions it was nothing but vast desert and Gobi, raging sand and fierce wind, desolate cities and wild land, sparse vegetation and scarce water, not a single Han survivor, with barbarians running rampant — they advised me to abandon it, lest it burden the court..."

Emperor Liu's words were no fabrication; he had indeed received many such memorials back then. Hearing the Emperor speak of it now, Lu Duoxun said with slight indignation: "Your Majesty, those who offered such advice were either short-sighted, harboring malicious intent, or poorly learned — knowing only fragments and scraps, they freely slandered. Truly detestable! Your Majesty, Hexi is not impoverished; given time, it will surely recover its former prosperity!"

Lu Duoxun regarded Hexi as the foundation of his own rise, so hearing such contemptuous or even discriminatory remarks, his reaction naturally seemed somewhat excessive.

Seeing this, Emperor Liu smiled and asked: "Why do you think so many people opposed expanding west and recovering our old territories back then?"

Sensing the gravity in Emperor Liu's tone, Lu Duoxun thought for a moment and replied: "Since the mid-Tang, Hexi was lost, and though Zhang Yichao led the Guiyi Army to revive it briefly, that was but a flash in the pan. Nearly two hundred years of falling to barbarian rule — that is simply too long..."

"Indeed!" Emperor Liu also let out a long sigh, his hand gripping the cold, slippery wall surface with force as he said earnestly: "The He-Long region has been long separated from the Central Kingdom, its Han people reduced to barbarian subjects. All those with ambition who think of it cannot help but feel grief and indignation.

As you said, the Central Kingdom has been without Hexi for too long — so long that it is easy to forget. I am determined to march west not only to recover lost territory, display martial might, and consolidate the northwestern frontier, but also to reclaim our former glory, restore past splendor, and guard it, and carry it forward.

I often speak of the failures of the ancients, lamenting their lack of striving — nor can we allow our descendants to ultimately judge us as unenterprising..."

As he spoke, Emperor Liu laughed at himself, but these words came from the depths of his heart. In those excessively distant and even hazy memories of his, after the Great Tang, the great Central Kingdom had suffered far too many lamentable losses and regrets.

And Emperor Liu's most basic goal was merely to make some unnoticed repairs and changes. Of course, what was presented to the world was an Emperor devoted to martial achievement, expanding in all directions, ceaselessly opening new frontiers...

Looking at the results, Emperor Liu had already done too much, achieved too much!

Take Gucang City beneath his feet — who could have imagined that in the original course of history, after the Guiyi Army, when it once again came under Han Chinese rule, that would be several hundred years later...