Chapter 1302: The Emperor's Toast

In the rear hall of the prefectural office, Emperor Liu, as host, personally feasted the officers and soldiers who had returned from beyond the frontier after braving hardships and dangers from the northwest of Mobei. The food and wine were not exquisite, but the victory was abundant in quantity—chicken, duck, fish, pork, lamb, and beef were all present—and the liquor was of the finest quality, all brewed in the imperial palace. More importantly, this banquet was personally hosted by His Majesty the Emperor, with the eldest prince, Duke of Qin Liu Xu, and Duke of Shou Li Shaoyou in attendance.

Such treatment—let alone for these few low-ranking officers and soldiers of humble origins who had returned—even among the court ministers and meritorious veterans, few had the opportunity to experience it.

Therefore, for the invited officers and soldiers, they were naturally overjoyed and deeply moved, so much so that they could not speak coherently, and even dared not speak at all.

Only five of the returning officers and soldiers survived, one of whom was a guide. The highest military rank among them was a centurion. Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng had dispatched only fifty soldiers and two guides, and it took over a month before they returned to the Han territory at Shanyang Road.

Of those who lived, only these five remained; the rest had died on the road—some ambushed and killed by the Mobei tribes, some trapped in marshes, some lost in the desert, some buried in the Yin Mountains... And the Mobei battle report they brought back and presented before Emperor Liu was stained with blood and sweat and tears.

For just this small band of men, the return was so difficult, so perilous. One could well imagine what the two Han army routes—Yulin and Hexi—that had advanced thousands of li beyond the frontier into Mobei had experienced, what hardships they encountered, what dangers they faced, and how, under such circumstances, they still fought bravely, battling the Hu barbarians of Mobei with their lives on the line.

Many things cannot truly be grasped through imagination alone, or through the words on memorials. Twenty thousand Han cavalry crossing the shifting sands, traversing forbidden lands, ranging freely across Mobei—it sounds so heroic and stirring, so inspiring. But behind it all lies a thousand hardships and ten thousand perils, countless soldiers sacrificing their heads and spilling their blood, their souls lost on the battlefield, their bones buried in foreign lands.

When Emperor Liu received these officers and soldiers, even personally feasting them, there was certainly some element of posturing involved. But as he listened intently to their accounts, hearing of their experiences beyond the frontier, he could not help but be moved. Emperor Liu, after all, was an emperor who had weathered countless wars; he naturally understood the military and empathized with his soldiers.

Especially the three officers and soldiers under the Hexi army—they had followed Wang Yansheng deep into the desert and personally experienced that series of dangers. Though they had not encountered the terrifying sandstorms, they had endured enough wind and sand, suffered enough scorching sun, faced crises of running out of food and water, and the perilous danger of losing their way. Each of these brought casualties, reduced their numbers, and carried the risk of total annihilation—listening to it made Emperor Liu's heart tense.

And having gone through such experiences, having survived life-and-death crises, having endured hellish trials, it was no longer so surprising that in the subsequent battles, they repeatedly defeated the Hu, struck hard at the Liao army, and reaped those victories great and small.

After hearing the account of the Battle of the Tula River, Liu Xu could no longer contain himself. His face full of emotion, he sighed: "The soldiers who went beyond the frontier had it hard! After enduring such hardship and peril, they still had to fight the Liao army in Mobei, and still managed to defeat them—what willpower, what spirit!"

Emperor Liu also picked up his wine cup, holding it aloft, and looked at the five dark-skinned, rough-handed officers and soldiers. In a deep voice he said: "The memorial you brought back—I have already read it. I have some understanding of the experiences of the two great armies of Hexi and Yulin, but it is ultimately not as direct, not as moving, as hearing it firsthand from you who lived through it. I want to pay tribute to you. You have worked hard. Come, drink with me!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The centurion, eyes red and voice choked with emotion, took the lead in rising and raised his cup with both hands.

"All of you, sit down!" Seeing the several stalwart men rise in unison, Emperor Liu said.

Sovereign and subjects, officers and soldiers, raised their cups together and drained them in one go. Yan Tuo, who was attending, immediately moved forward to refill Emperor Liu's cup, but Liu Xu stopped him. He personally picked up the wine pot and refilled Emperor Liu's cup.

Emperor Liu stopped him, pointing at the five officers and soldiers: "First pour wine for the returning warriors!"

"Yes!"

Liu Xu acknowledged. On the other side, Li Shaoyou also rose on his own initiative, picked up a pot of wine, and did the same. A prince and a duke—such noble personages, whom they would not have dared to even imagine on ordinary days, now with kind faces personally poured wine for them. This left the several officers and soldiers both moved and at a loss, their hands having nowhere to rest. Of course, their awkward and even discourteous behavior was worthy of forgiveness.

When the cups were filled, Emperor Liu raised his again: "This cup is to toast you, for enduring all hardships and returning to deliver the message!"

"This cup is to toast the officers and soldiers who died fighting beyond the frontier—they are all heroes!"

"This cup is to toast all the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation in the northern expedition—their spirits endure forever, immortal and undying!"

"This cup is to toast all the officers and soldiers still fighting the Liao on various fronts—may they return victorious and come home with honor!"

Five cups in a row, each filled to the brim, each drained to the last drop. This way of drinking was something Emperor Liu had not attempted in a long time, and the slight burning sensation in his throat was utterly insignificant. Clearly, he was genuinely moved.

Liu Xu and Li Shaoyou drank along, both deeply affected, while the five officers and soldiers had flushed faces and agitated expressions.

"Your name is Zhou Tai, is it not?" Emperor Liu looked at the centurion.

"Yes, Your Majesty, that is correct!"

"That is a fine name!" Emperor Liu said with encouragement in his tone: "In the Three Kingdoms, Eastern Wu had a fierce general named Zhou Tai. I hope that in the future, you too can become a battle general of the Great Han and bring glory to this name!"

"Yes!" Facing Emperor Liu's encouragement, Zhou Tai immediately rose and replied: "That is precisely this humble officer's aspiration!"

"In that case, I will directly promote you—raise you to battalion commander. The others will each be promoted two ranks, with a reward of a hundred strings of cash, and all of you will be transferred into the imperial army!" Emperor Liu looked at them.

"We kowtow in gratitude, Your Majesty!" Hearing this, the several men hastily rose and knelt to give thanks. Though they had endured great hardship to return and deliver the message, to complete their mission, without excessive demands, being promoted and rewarded was still a delightful surprise.

"Now tell me more—what happened after the Battle of the Tula River!" Having called the men back to their seats, Emperor Liu said to Zhou Tai.

"Yes!"

Perhaps with a few cups of wine in his belly, he was no longer so nervous. Subconsciously clutching the wine pot and taking a hearty gulp, Zhou Tai continued his account to Emperor Liu.

The Battle of the Tula River was something of a minor decisive engagement between the Han and Liao in the northwest of Mobei. Liu Fang and Yang Yanzhao led a thousand riders on a circuitous route of several hundred li, and while the two sides were locked in fierce frontal combat, they launched a surprise attack on the Liao army's rear, completely throwing their formation into chaos, thereby securing the victory.

Perhaps because someone had instructed him to, Zhou Tai specifically described in detail how Liu Fang, at the front of the battle, led from the forefront, commanded with composure, slew enemy generals, and seized their banners. Whether it was Zhou Tai's vivid storytelling or his own expectations, the image of Liu Fang on his white horse in silver armor, ranging across the battlefield, leapt vividly into his mind.

In the Battle of the Tula River, the Han army won a great victory, killing or capturing over seven thousand Liao soldiers. The rest either surrendered or scattered. The Liao commander-in-chief, Prince Ping Yelu Longxian, only managed to escape pursuit and withdraw intact under the desperate protection of several thousand Pishi Army soldiers, ultimately gathering fewer than six thousand riders and retreating eastward, not daring to linger.

And this battle completely destroyed Liao's rule in the northwest of Mobei, throwing the situation into utter chaos. The Zubu, Tatan, and Damili tribes either scattered or simply surrendered to the Han army, and the several grassland towns in the area all fell into Han hands.

The two armies of Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng thus resolved their greatest crisis, reaped a large quantity of war spoils, replenished their logistics and supplies, and gained a rare opportunity to rest and regroup. Under such circumstances, they finally had the leisure to write up their battle reports and military intelligence, dispatching men to travel thousands of li back to Han territory to report the situation.

And they had not gone beyond the frontier to seize those towns and lands. In the joint report of Yang Ye and Wang Yansheng, it was also mentioned that after resting, they would marshal their troops and advance eastward, spreading the flames of war across all of Mobei, throwing Liao's supposedly secure and stable rear into utter upheaval...

After hearing the report, seeing the several officers and soldiers sitting awkwardly in their seats, Emperor Liu snapped back to himself and said with a light laugh: "I've been so caught up listening to your reports that the food has gone cold! Come now, this table of food and wine was prepared especially for you. Pick up your cups, pick up your chopsticks, dig in—don't stand on ceremony!"

"What is your name?" Emperor Liu looked at the youngest soldier.

Facing the kind-eyed Emperor Liu, the soldier was very nervous and stammered in reply: "I, I'm called Bai Yang!"

"Where are you from?"

"From Bin Prefecture!"

"How old are you?" Emperor Liu asked.

"Nineteen!" The soldier Bai Yang replied.

Hearing this, Emperor Liu praised him: "Remarkable! At such a young age, you've already traveled far to forbidden lands, taken part in a great battle, and been entrusted with important responsibilities."

For young people, Emperor Liu never stinted on praise and encouragement. He said gently: "Eat more dishes, drink more wine—by all means, enjoy yourselves to the fullest!"

Faced with Emperor Liu's kind concern, the young soldier could no longer hold it in and suddenly burst into loud sobs, leaving Emperor Liu somewhat puzzled. When asked, he said it was because he was too moved...