Chapter 1246: Stubborn as Ever

The spring chill was biting, piercing to the bone, but for Emperor Liu, it also loosened some of the fetters on him, allowing him to leave the city and wander about, looking here and there.

Under such circumstances, Emperor Liu took his people out, picnicking and hunting beneath the great snowy Qilian Mountains. Although this was not a suitable season for hunting, and there was hardly any game to be seen, Emperor Liu still found joy in it—perhaps his interest was never really in the prey.

"It's been a long time since I've felt this free!" With a burst of high-pitched neighing, Emperor Liu reined in his horse, unwound the scarf around his neck to cool off, admired the clear, cold scenery of the snowy river valley, and remarked to his attendants with a look of pure delight.

"These past days, I've truly been cooped up!" Riding close beside Emperor Liu was Duke of Zhao, Liu Fang, who echoed the sentiment, also looking restless and fidgety.

Clearly, for the energetic Liu Fang, the past period had been even harder to endure. Thus, upon learning that Emperor Liu was going out, he hurriedly followed along to guard him. Beneath him was an exceptionally magnificent Ferghana horse—during the trip to Yanzhi Mountain, Liu Fang had lived up to Emperor Liu's expectations by subduing this king of horses, though it had nearly exhausted him at the time...

"Cooped up, then run more! Staying in the city too long, I feel like I'm about to grow mold!" Emperor Liu laughed heartily. Clearly, getting out and running around had vastly improved his spirits and mood, almost like he'd taken on a new appearance.

Of course, Emperor Liu's biggest change was his weight gain—his face, belly, and midsection had all put on flesh; this time, he hadn't managed to control it. With age, besides growing older and uglier, Emperor Liu was also showing a trend toward growing fatter...

"Father, how about we race? See who gets back to Guzang first?" Liu Fang proposed on his own initiative.

Hearing this, Emperor Liu flicked his riding whip and scolded with a laugh: "Are you trying to make a fool of me? Or trying to bully your old man? If you want to race, go find Yang Yanzhao, Li Jilong, and the others!"

Seeing his reaction, Liu Fang couldn't help but chuckle.

This place was about thirty li from Guzang city, on the eastern slopes of the great snowy mountains. The peaks rose in layered folds, and the bleak, desolate atmosphere hadn't changed much, but the thawing Gu River was already surging eagerly northeastward, continuing to nourish the land of Liangzhou, releasing the breath of life.

The Gu River was the largest and most important waterway in Liangzhou, originating from the Qilian Mountains, flowing from south to north, all the way into Baiting Lake in the desert. The basin it passed through was a vast expanse of plains and basins, and for a thousand years, it had been the foundation of Liangzhou's thriving agriculture and herding, making it the center of Hexi.

Facing the mountain pass, located upstream, with no tributaries converging, the current was not swift, nor was the water volume great. Cold air hung over the river, and bits of ice still floated on the surface, clearly telling people that this water was still cold.

"The weather is warming, and the Gu River has thawed. How are the troops at the field headquarters? They haven't all grown lax like me, have they? Can they still march?" Emperor Liu said calmly, his sharp gaze seemingly able to pierce through the cold mist hanging over the Gu River.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty!" Luo Yangui, who was also accompanying the imperial entourage, immediately assured him: "Though the troops have been stationed for a long time, their daily drills have never slackened, and they dare not grow negligent. In attack, defense, and marching, there is absolutely no problem—they will surely protect Your Majesty to the fullest!"

Hearing this, Emperor Liu revealed a slight smile, pointing into the distance to the northwest, and said: "Then we can continue westward, can't we!"

Indeed, Emperor Liu's intention to tour the west had not diminished; having weathered a harsh winter, his desire had only grown stronger. At this, Luo Yangui showed hesitation: "This..."

"What, still have concerns?" Emperor Liu's face stiffened, his expression turning stern.

Seeing this, Luo Yangui hurriedly said: "The field headquarters has been stationed here, and supplies of all kinds are being consumed at a tremendous rate. They are now running low. If we wish to continue west, the Hexi authorities likely cannot provide much more grain and clothing. We would need to replenish in large quantities after..."

Hearing this, Emperor Liu waved his hand broadly, almost rudely cutting him off: "If supplies are short, just find a way to replenish them! This problem doesn't seem that hard to solve, does it!"

"Yes!" Luo Yangui responded: "The replenishment of supplies for the Hexi garrison troops has also begun to be transported and delivered. We could issue a directive to allocate an additional portion from the northwestern official granaries to support the field headquarters!"

"No!" Hearing this, Emperor Liu immediately cut him off, his tone serious: "The military supplies for the border garrison troops cannot be touched—never at any time! Low"

"Yes!" Luo Yangui instinctively clasped his hands, then suggested: "In that case, to supply the field headquarters, we'll have to find a way through the Guannei Circuit!"

"Draw up a list of the grain and materials needed, give it to Li Ye, and have him write a dispatch to be sent to Chang'an, letting Wang You take charge of coordination and support!" Emperor Liu directly ordered.

"As you command!" Luo Yangui responded.

After a moment's consideration, and sizing up Emperor Liu's expression, Luo Yangui reported again: "Your Majesty, Chang'an is over a thousand li from Liangzhou. To hastily procure materials and then deliver them to Guzang will likely take a considerable amount of time!"

Emperor Liu's brows furrowed, and he said nothing. Seeing this, Luo Yangui continued: "The troops at the field headquarters naturally support Your Majesty without reservation and guard Your Sacred Person. But Your Majesty has been away from the capital for a long time, and the roads have only just reopened. If you set out west again, will the other ministers and high officials support it..."

"These are not for you to consider. You are the Commander-in-Chief of this field headquarters—just do your own job well!" Emperor Liu's tone was flat, but his attitude was exceptionally forceful: "As for the matter of material transport, leave it to the Guannei Circuit to solve! During the northern campaign, with several hundred thousand troops and transport over several hundred li, it was still carried out in an orderly fashion. If now, with less than ten thousand men's worth of supplies, they cannot effectively deliver, then the officials of the Guannei Circuit Transport Office can be dismissed. If they can't even handle this small matter, what use are they?"

"Yes!" Since Emperor Liu had spoken thus, how could Luo Yangui dare say anything more.

In fact, today his words had indeed been too many for Emperor Liu's liking. If Emperor Liu hadn't known this man well, he might have harbored some dissatisfaction.

After a picnic in the great snowy mountains, eating and drinking their fill, and then sleeping close to nature, Emperor Liu returned to Guzang city fully satisfied.

Upon returning to the city and entering the temporary imperial residence, Emperor Liu directly summoned Li Ye and told him of his continued plan to tour the west. Sure enough, as soon as Emperor Liu revealed his intention, Uncle Li's expression turned bitter, clearly holding a different opinion.

But Emperor Liu paid no heed to his thoughts, merely assigning him the task of replenishing the field headquarters' supplies and having him handle it, leaving no room for objection.

At this, even though Li Ye was long accustomed to Emperor Liu's forcefulness, such a complete refusal to listen to others still made him feel uncomfortable and utterly helpless.

"Anything urgent?" Having settled the matter of the western tour, Emperor Liu relaxed again, and noticing the several memorials Li Ye had brought, he took the initiative to ask.

At the question, Li Ye replied: "These are several memorials submitted from Luoyang. There are indeed a few urgent matters. Luoyang did not dare decide on its own, so they specially presented them for Your Majesty's perusal and opinion!"

"Oh? Let's hear them!" Emperor Liu grew interested. He truly had delegated authority, and matters that the Luoyang court dared not decide were relatively rare.

Li Ye replied: "First, last year, unrest broke out in the Yunnan Circuit and Guangxi Circuit. The chieftain of Qiu Prefecture, Dai Liannongtu, and the town head of Yanzhong in Yong Prefecture, Zong Qi, successively led their tribes in rebellion against the court, and were suppressed by the two generals Wang Renshan and Pan Chongche. Now the unrest has been pacified, and the rebel leaders and their followers have been captured. Both circuits have submitted memorials asking how to deal with them?"

Hearing this, Emperor Liu's brows seemed to darken, and he said leisurely: "If I remember correctly, before the southern campaign against Dali, it was these two families who allied with the Great Han and raised a rebellion to contain the Duan clan, wasn't it..."

"Exactly!" Li Ye replied: "Although these two men had no fundamental impact on the overall situation, after Dali was recovered, the court still rewarded them and granted them native official posts. However, the two considered their merits great and were not satisfied with the court's rewards, so they overestimated themselves and recklessly stirred up rebellion..."

"Rebels will always be rebels!" Emperor Liu sighed, then said in an ice-cold tone: "Issue an edict to Yunnan and Guangxi: the two rebel leaders' clans are to be exterminated, and their property and population are all to be confiscated for official use!"

"Yes!" Li Ye responded very calmly. Uncle Li truly did not regard those minority peoples as human beings, so no matter how ruthless the measures, they were ordinary to him, and he naturally would not dissuade.

"There is one more matter. The posthumous child of Han Qingxiong was born three months ago. According to the previous edict, he should inherit the title. Luoyang requests Your Majesty's instruction!" Li Ye added.

"It's been that long already!" Emperor Liu was first surprised, then sighed. Without a moment's thought, he ordered: "Since a son was born, let him inherit the title of Earl of Wuning!"