Chapter 1269: As Always, Full Support

Beside the lawn lay a flower bed planted with a variety of blooms, arranged in an orderly fashion. In this season, the peonies and azaleas were at their most exuberant, their expanses of purple strikingly vivid.

Yet amid this harmonious scene, a small figure was bustling about—not chasing flowers or butterflies, but wielding a wooden sword, slashing and hacking with constant cries of "Hey! Ha!" as he snapped blooms and broke branches with great delight. Still, his bright little eyes kept darting toward where Emperor Liu was seated.

Sure enough, he succeeded in catching Emperor Liu's attention. Noticing the commotion, the Emperor turned his head and scolded lightly: "Little Thirteen!"

The rebuke took immediate effect—the little one halted his movements, and Emperor Liu rose and walked over. This child was naturally Emperor Liu's thirteenth son, Liu Ye, only seven years old this year. His mother, Lady Qin, of the Yao people, had been made a Lady of Beauty upon first entering the palace, later promoted to Pure Consort under the Later Jin, and after giving birth to Liu Ye, was enfeoffed as Consort Xiang.

Emperor Liu looked at the mess in the flower bed, then fixed his gaze on Liu Ye, who had been led before him by a palace eunuch. The majesty of an imperial father still inspired some fear in the boy, who couldn't help but lower his head to stare at his own shoe tips, wearing an expression of shy nervousness.

"What are you doing with your head down? Lift it up! Let me ask you—what exactly are you doing?" Emperor Liu demanded.

At the question, Liu Ye raised his head, still waving his wooden sword, his childish voice tinged with excitement: "I'm killing enemies!"

Emperor Liu's face showed surprise, but he quickly shot the boy a glare and asked with keen interest: "At such a young age, what enemies are you killing!"

Liu Ye pointed at the flowers and trees behind him and replied: "These are all Liao bandits—I'm killing Liao bandits!"

Hearing this, Emperor Liu was thoroughly amused and asked softly: "Who taught you this?"

Liu Ye looked at Xiang Xun with a bewildered expression and said: "Master Xiang taught me!"

Xiang Xun had been enjoying the spectacle, but hearing the Thirteenth Prince say this, his old face instantly darkened. Meeting Emperor Liu's questioning gaze, he hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, this old minister would never dare to teach the princes improperly..."

"Little Thirteen, Master Xiang says he never taught you to bully these flowers and plants!" Emperor Liu looked at Liu Ye, even more intrigued: "What's this all about, then?"

Liu Ye said: "Master Xiang said the Great Han is currently campaigning against the Liao bandits. Second Brother, Fourth Brother, and Sixth Brother have all gone to the battlefield, but I couldn't go along, so I had to treat these flowers and plants as the Liao bandits instead."

Hearing this, Emperor Liu felt quite pleased. He crouched down, patted the boy's thin little frame, brushed the two scraps of flower petals from his head, and said in a gentle tone laced with encouragement: "Admirable spirit! But you're still young—if you want to kill enemies, wait another ten years! For now, you should focus on your studies, and go to the battlefield later..."

"Okay!" Liu Ye nodded repeatedly at Emperor Liu, utterly delighted, his clear, bright eyes revealing a look of deep admiration and longing.

That look made Emperor Liu's heart tremble. He raised his eyes and saw that the older brothers were all playing and chasing a ball on the grass—only the thirteenth son, being too young, couldn't join in.

Patting Liu Ye's head, Emperor Liu still wore a slight smile and said to him: "But these flowers and trees are innocent. Destroying them without cause—that's a mistake you've made!"

Hearing Emperor Liu say this, Liu Ye's little head drooped, and he answered in a low voice: "Yes!"

"When you've made a mistake, you must be punished!"

Liu Ye nodded, his eyes rolling around for a moment, then trotted on his short legs to the edge of the flower bed, picked up a broken branch, came back and handed it to Emperor Liu, then spread open his palm...

Emperor Liu was stunned by Liu Ye's display of self-awareness, then burst out laughing: "Alright! Since you've made a complete mess of the flower bed, your punishment is to clean it all up yourself!"

"You won't hit me?" Liu Ye asked in confusion.

"No hitting!" Emperor Liu couldn't help but laugh.

Hearing this, Liu Ye breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing this, Emperor Liu beckoned to Yan Tuo: "Prepare some cleaning tools for him. Don't help him—let him do it himself!"

"Yes!"

Soon, that small figure was bustling about in the flower bed once more.

Emperor Liu and Xiang Xun took their seats, and the Emperor remarked with some feeling: "Having many sons isn't necessarily a good thing—every one of them is a little troublemaker..."

Though he said this, a smile never left Emperor Liu's lips. Xiang Xun's gaze was calm as he said softly: "Your Majesty, the Thirteenth Prince is usually quite well-behaved. He's also very diligent in his studies and martial training!"

Emperor Liu fell briefly silent, pondered for a moment, and his gaze gradually softened as he said: "It seems I've been paying too little attention to my youngest sons! I sired them but didn't raise them properly—that is my failing!"

Hearing Emperor Liu say this, Xiang Xun responded: "Your Majesty handles matters of state and military affairs, managing a thousand things daily—how could you possibly attend to everything? Rather, it is we ministers who have failed to share your burdens..."

Seeing Xiang Xun starting up with this again, Emperor Liu waved his hand to stop him and laughed: "Still, when even a child with hair hanging loose knows to kill enemies and serve the nation, how can we worry that the northern expedition's soldiers won't rouse their martial might and strike hard against the Liao bandits!"

"Your Majesty speaks truly!"

Inside the Bureau of Military Affairs, still in the war room—as the northern expedition unfolded with great fanfare, the Bureau's main work had been devoted to it, and the war room had become the rear's command and dispatch center. Emperor Liu's personal visit brought a touch of tension to the Bureau's staff.

"From the Yan Mountains to Liaodong, there are three main routes!" Emperor Liu and Xiang Xun sat to one side, listening attentively as Shi Shouxin explained: "First, exiting Yu Pass and taking the Liaoxi Corridor—this is the main road; second, taking the mountain paths through the Yan Mountains, though the way is obstructed and difficult; third, transporting troops by sea route!"

"According to reports from field headquarters, the eastern army's specific advance plan also follows these three routes. One force of fifty thousand troops, led by the Marquis of Yongqing, Wang Yanchao, will exit Tanzhou and attack Liao's Xinghua, Shenshan, and other places to pin down their forces. If a breakthrough is achieved, they can turn to attack their Xi tribes!

The remainder is divided into vanguard and rear forces. The vanguard of thirty thousand elite troops, led by the Marquis of Gu'an, Ma Renyu, will first strike Jinzhou. Jinzhou sits at the tail end of the Liaoxi Corridor, a key passage for advance and retreat, and also the first pass on the road into Liaodong. Liao has stationed heavy troops there. According to reports from the Military Virtue and Military Intelligence Bureaus, the city's defenses are solid and not easily taken—it will be a major obstacle!

As for the sea route, the Marquis of Hai'an, Guo Tingwei, will lead it. He will first destroy the Liao Suzhou naval forces, clear the Liao seas, ensure the sea route is open and safe, choose a landing site to establish a foothold fortress, and then transport the main army through Wuqing Harbor!"

As Shi Shouxin spoke, Emperor Liu and Xiang Xun nodded along, clearly approving of field headquarters' arrangements.

"Xingmin, you once commanded a naval force yourself—what do you think?" Emperor Liu asked for Xiang Xun's opinion.

Xiang Xun nodded and said: "Liaodong has no shortage of sturdy fortresses and stockades. Though our army has superior equipment and excels at siege warfare, if we fight city by city and place by place, we'll inevitably waste time and add to our losses. Following field headquarters' plan—if the intent can be carried through, with land and sea forces striking together to seize the strategic advantages of Liaodong—then the Liao army will be unable to protect both front and rear, caught between two fires, and our chances of victory will greatly increase. And with the advantage of naval power and the Marquis of Hai'an's ability to command, I believe success is certain!"

It wasn't that Emperor Liu liked hearing flattery, but Xiang Xun's analysis was indeed well-reasoned and sound, pleasing to the ear—even if he had heard similar strategic assessments many times before.

"Have any battle reports come back?" Emperor Liu looked at Shi Shouxin.

Shi Shouxin replied: "The naval forces are attacking across the sea—no word has come back yet! But according to the latest battle report, Ma Renyu advanced a hundred li and encountered a thousand Liao cavalry charging his formation. He repelled them, and though harassed continuously afterward, he has advanced steadily. Barring any accidents, the main army should already be at the gates of Jinzhou by now. After all, the Liaoxi Corridor is only three hundred li—the Liao army can delay us, but they cannot stop the momentum of our mighty host!"

"Taking the initiative to strike out with a thousand cavalry charging the formation—the Liao army is not lacking in courage. Who leads them?" Emperor Liu showed some interest.

"The Liao Defense Commissioner of Jinzhou, Yelu Xiuge!" Shi Shouxin said: "An utterly unknown nobody!"

Hearing that name, Emperor Liu's brow furrowed slightly, and then he instructed: "The Liao army still has capable men! Send an edict to field headquarters—they must not grow careless or underestimate the enemy!"

"Yes!"

When the army was in the field, Emperor Liu's interference with the front lines usually amounted to no more than such reminders and edicts—the generals had grown accustomed to it...

"Judging by the Liao army's reactions and measures, their will to resist is very resolute! I wonder if we can take Liaoyang within half a year?" After a long pause, Emperor Liu said this.

Half a year later, winter would set in—and winter was the greatest enemy of marching and fighting. The Liao army was more accustomed to winter warfare, and if the Bohai Sea froze over again, the naval advantage would cease to exist.

To this question, Shi Shouxin could not give a completely definitive answer. He could only say that if the strategic and tactical intentions progressed smoothly, taking Liaoyang would not be difficult.

And Emperor Liu, after pondering, merely expressed his stance: full support for the northern expedition!