Chapter 1287: The Emperor Is Still Afraid of the Empress

The scorching sun blazed down between the palace halls, illuminating everything it touched with brilliant brightness while radiating heat. Fortunately, the halls and pavilions blocked much of it, and within Chuigong Hall, one could still feel a trace of coolness.

The scene inside Chuigong Hall at this moment was thus: palace eunuchs and maids stood with heads bowed and hands folded, cautious and daring not to make any excessive movement. Empress Fu sat upright in her chair, dignified and severe, her gaze piercing, her slightly heaving chest rising and falling—clearly angered, which made the atmosphere in the hall all the more oppressive.

Emperor Liu, however, stood close beside her, one hand patting the elder Lady Fu's back, the other holding a fan, attentively fanning the Empress while forcing a smile on his face: "Don't be angry! Anger harms the body. The weather is already irritating enough—don't stew in silence! Liu Fang and Liu Min, those two lads, have always had their own ideas, full of youthful spirit. I had only intended to send them north for some tempering, but I never expected the two of them to be so bold as to take such risks......"

Seeing Emperor Liu lower his posture so much and speak so gently, Empress Fu was somewhat unappreciative, glancing at him sideways: "As for their matters, if you want to temper them, to help them succeed, I have no objection. But there must be limits—surely you understand the principle that going too far is as bad as not going far enough? And you even hid it from us, covering for them with false pretenses!

When the eldest sister-in-law came to the palace and spoke of this matter, she couldn't help but weep. Liu Min is only sixteen years old, and you sent him to the battlefield—to that distant and perilous Mobei! Don't think I don't understand. Even without fighting the Liao, every step of the march is fraught with danger. As his father, how can you be so at ease? How can your conscience bear it?

You didn't see how the eldest sister-in-law wept—she's nearly sick with worry over Liu Min......"

This was the eruption of the matter of Liu Fang and Liu Min's two brothers venturing beyond the frontier. Previously, Emperor Liu had ordered the news sealed, precisely to avoid worrying the Empress, the Worthy Consort, and the Prince of Wei's Dowager Consort—these mothers.

However, news always has a way of leaking out eventually. And so, after the matter came to light, the Empress came straight to confront him. In truth, Emperor Liu was quite appreciative of the unanimous decision made by Liu Fang and Liu Min. Regardless of success or failure, the fighting spirit and bearing they had displayed filled him with gratification—they did not disgrace the majesty and honor of the imperial house.

Of course, facing the elder Lady Fu, who was acting like a protective mother hen, Emperor Liu still had to soothe her carefully, offering comfort: "Those two lads are indeed reckless and fearless. When they return to the capital, I'll be sure to give them a proper scolding!"

"Can you guarantee they'll come back safely?" The elder Lady Fu remained stern and unyielding.

Emperor Liu's expression faltered slightly, then he sighed: "Never mind the eldest sister-in-law—Liu Min is your own flesh and blood, and those brothers are my seed too. What parents don't worry about their children? But now, they're fighting beyond the borders with the main army, and the court has lost contact with them. Things have reached this point—it's no longer within my or the court's control. All we can do is pray for them, hoping they return without danger and triumph in victory!

Moreover, in this northern expedition, hundreds of thousands of soldiers are fighting in bloody battle. Among those who rode north with them into the great desert, which one doesn't have parents? Aren't their parents worried as well?

But as my sons, as princes of the Great Han, they must become pillars of the court. Since they've made their choice and are willing to shoulder their mission and responsibility, we should support and acknowledge them...... Our sons have lofty aspirations—you mothers must not hold them back. If word of this gets out, how would others see it?"

Seeing Emperor Liu put it that way, the elder Lady Fu finally let out a sigh, her expression softening as she said quietly: "Don't I know that already?"

Clearly, the elder Lady Fu was a clever woman with great political insight. She understood in her heart that at this point, there was nothing Emperor Liu could do about it. Her display was merely the result of excessive worry for her beloved son.

"We've been husband and wife for many years—I know you've always been a woman of great righteousness who puts the overall situation first!" Seeing the elder Lady Fu's expression soften, Emperor Liu's own demeanor relaxed as well, and he said: "When they return to the capital, you may deal with them however you please!"

"I hope they come back safely! Otherwise, I don't know how heartbroken the Worthy Consort and the eldest sister-in-law would be!" the elder Lady Fu said.

Emperor Liu continued fanning the elder Lady Fu, saying: "The eldest sister-in-law has always treated Liu Min as her own son. After all these years, her affection for him naturally runs deep. If anything should happen to him because of this, it would be my sin. As for the eldest sister-in-law, I'll trouble you to comfort her on my behalf......"

"I'll do my best!"

As had always been the case, much of the cleanup and aftermath work fell to the elder Lady Fu to handle for Emperor Liu. The Emperor himself had grown accustomed to it—the fact that the Great Han court had maintained its stability for so long was largely thanks to Empress Fu.

After the elder Lady Fu left, Emperor Liu finally breathed a sigh of relief. He plopped down onto the chair, picked up his teacup and took a big gulp, his expression shifting through various changes before he asked Yan Tuo with a wry smile: "Tell me, am I a little afraid of the Empress?"

This was perhaps a deadly question. Yan Tuo piled on a smile: "This is but a testament to the deep affection between His Majesty and Her Ladyship—how could one speak of fear or not......"

"Haha!" Emperor Liu chuckled for a moment, then said: "The Worthy Consort is more reassuring—she didn't come to interrogate me!"

"Liu Fang and Liu Min, those two brothers, truly have remarkable courage—worthy sons of mine indeed! But they went off on their grand adventure while I bear all this reproach." After a long pause, Emperor Liu muttered: "May they accomplish something and return safely!"

Just as he said, while affirming the choice of Liu Fang and his brother, how could Emperor Liu not harbor worry in his heart? They were, after all, his sons—sons he valued greatly. It was simply that displaying such weak emotions was not Emperor Liu's style.

Lost in thought, Emperor Liu's mind wandered. He recalled a confession of guilt that Liu Tinghan had recently submitted, in which he gave a detailed account of his expedition beyond the frontier that had returned without merit. Feeling that he had squandered troops and provisions without any gains, he deemed himself ashamed before the court and unworthy of the Emperor's trust, and requested punishment. Of course, he also explained the rash and overeager sentiments within the army, as well as his concerns about the situation and some of his speculations regarding Liao's movements.

In truth, although the Bureau of Military Affairs and the Ministry of War were not lacking in famous generals like Shi Shouxin, Cao Bin, and Pan Mei, and the court was not short of capable ministers skilled in strategic planning, when it came to the conditions on the battlefield and grasping the ever-changing opportunities of war, one had to rely on the commanders at the front. Their understanding and judgment of the battlefield situation were the most valuable.

Therefore, Emperor Liu did not overly reproach Liu Tinghan for his "fear of battle" and return without merit. On the contrary, to soothe his heart, he wrote a personal reply, telling Liu Tinghan that the power of an arrow already loosed is sometimes less than one held in the bow, ready to fly. His thirty thousand troops were a sharp arrow, poised to strike. Emperor Liu gave Liu Tinghan the authority over the bow—how to wield it was his own decision.

From the bottom of his heart, Emperor Liu rather approved of Liu Tinghan's caution and prudence. After all, it suited his own habits. In the past, he had not lacked bold and daring decisions, but at his core, he was still a monarch who valued steadiness and stability.

At the same time, given the immense pressure that the divergent opinions among the army's officers placed on Liu Tinghan, Emperor Liu also had the Bureau of Military Affairs draft a sternly worded proclamation to the central route troops, establishing Liu Tinghan's authority and alleviating his pressure.

Whatever his inner thoughts, it must be said that Emperor Liu showed his generals full respect and trust, not judging success or failure by momentary gains or losses. Of course, it was also the power and prestige accumulated over more than twenty years that gave Emperor Liu sufficient confidence and foundation.

Within the system of the Great Han Empire, imperial authority had already been greatly strengthened, and combined with Emperor Liu's personal prestige, it naturally reached an even higher level.

Therefore, by now, the power structure of the Great Han Empire was actually quite unbalanced. Even though Emperor Liu was skilled at playing political games, heavily employing checks and balances, and had constructed a relatively complete system of institutions and national governance, he himself was the greatest saboteur of this seemingly perfect system.

As things had developed, if anything went wrong on Emperor Liu's side, it would inevitably affect the entire empire. Of course, it was precisely because it was Emperor Liu—any successor would find it difficult to achieve this.

Considering Liu Tinghan's memorial, a faint voice echoed in Emperor Liu's heart: if Yang Ye's and Wang Yansheng's armies were the same—even if they also returned without merit or accomplishment—as long as they came back safely, that seemed fine too.

Emperor Liu was, after all, only human, and he too had private thoughts. Although he had been suppressing them all these years, they still existed. In the past, because of the Empress Dowager, because of his brothers, he had made many decisions he was not entirely happy with.

The reason Emperor Liu had shed his forceful exterior when Empress Fu came storming in to interrogate him just now was, more importantly, his pity and guilt toward the elder Lady Fu. Of their three sons, one had been given away in adoption, and now the other two had both been sent to the battlefield, causing her to worry and fear......

"Yan Tuo, go—have Zhang Dejun investigate who exactly leaked the news. Has my prohibition lost its effect?" Raising his head, Emperor Liu coldly ordered Yan Tuo.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this command, Yan Tuo couldn't help but tremble inwardly. With the Emperor looking so murderous, who knew how many people would be punished, how many would lose their lives.