Chapter 1326: The Crown Prince's Dissenting Voice

Slightly composing himself, facing Emperor Liu's gaze that carried a faint hint of approval, Liu Yang instinctively rose and bowed with clasped hands: "There is one more proposal I wish to present to Your Majesty!"

Liu Yang's solemn demeanor drew the attention of everyone in the hall, and Emperor Liu narrowed his eyes slightly, raising a hand to indicate: "Speak!"

Liu Yang said in a deep voice: "Aside from General Guo leading the naval forces south to destroy the Goryeo fleet, the field headquarters has simultaneously ordered General Ma Renyu to lead troops north to attack Tongzhou of Liao and annihilate its remaining forces, in coordination with the Shiwei and Jurchen righteous armies.

Duke Rong intends to reinforce Ma Renyu with additional troops up to one hundred thousand, striking with full force. Before winter sets in, regardless of the outcome—whether Tongzhou falls or not—we will withdraw and cease hostilities.

Thereafter, sufficient forces will be left to garrison the area, while the main army gradually withdraws back within the passes. Then, next year or the year after, we will act again according to how the situation develops!"

Having said this, Liu Yang fell silent, slightly lowering his head, quietly awaiting Emperor Liu's response. If Liu Yang's decision-making on Goryeo affairs had been a matter of observation, examination, and expectation, then this proposal from Liu Yang now caused him a measure of surprise.

For so long, although the attending ministers, regional officials, and even the chancellors of the Western Capital had all harbored the inclination to dissuade Emperor Liu from continuing the war, this was the first time anyone had directly raised it to Emperor Liu—and it was Liu Yang who did so.

"You mean to say, you intend to withdraw the army?" At this moment, Emperor Liu's eyes seemed able to see only Liu Yang.

"Yes!" Liu Yang answered with great firmness.

"Is this your own idea, or a recommendation from the commanders at field headquarters?" Emperor Liu's tone suddenly turned several degrees sharper.

A wave of pressure struck him in the face. Liu Yang froze for a moment, then raised his head again and said softly: "It is your subject's proposal. Before returning, I discussed it with Duke Rong and the other commanders—they do not oppose it!"

"Do not oppose?" Emperor Liu murmured to himself, inwardly thinking that perhaps they were unwilling to oppose, yet also dared not support it.

Staring at Liu Yang for quite a while, Emperor Liu continued to lean back, shifting into a more comfortable reclining position, and said flatly: "Tell me your considerations!"

Upon the question, Liu Yang's expression did not relax. Drawing a breath, he replied: "First, the original objective of this northern campaign was merely to take Liaodong. Now Liaoyang has already fallen, and far exceeding expectations—we should stop while we're ahead.

Second, although the Liaodong campaign had its twists and turns, the gains have been substantial. The bulk of the enemy forces in Liaodong have been lost, their elite troops shattered. To destroy the remaining enemy, there is no need to station hundreds of thousands of soldiers and laborers there. In pursuing the remnants and taking the northeast, both force and strategy can be arranged according to the actual local geography, military conditions, and tribal circumstances.

Third, since the northern campaign began, from west to east, several great armies have struck along the entire front. The scale of mobilization and the enormity of expenditure truly surpass all wars since the founding of the Great Han. Your subject does not know the detailed depletion of the granaries, but I can be certain that whether it be the soldiers fighting at the front or the officials and people supplying them from the rear, all are exhausted and in need of rest.

Fourth, the soldiers have been on campaign for over half a year now, fighting bitterly for months, engaging in more than fifty battles large and small, with heavy casualties. The troops are weary, morale has suffered, and for most officers and men, having marched thousands of li to fight in foreign lands, homesickness is acute and the desire to return grows ever stronger.

Fifth, half of the troops fighting in Liaodong come from the Central Plains forces. Fighting far away in the northeast, they are unaccustomed to the water, soil, and climate. To this point, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the various cities have fallen ill—and this is only because of full medical supply that the situation has not spread further.

Your subject has carefully inquired with some local officials and tribal people. When winter arrives, the climate will be harsh, and its severity will be several times worse than we originally imagined.

Last year when Your Majesty toured Hexi in the west, you personally experienced the bitter cold of that winter. The conditions in the northeast will be no better than the northwest! Even with sufficient supplies of firewood, charcoal, and bedding, it will be difficult to guarantee against non-combat losses among the troops.

The severe cold of winter will become the Liao army's best defensive aid. Forcing the main army to remain in Liaodong—not to mention the consumption and transport costs of grain, bedding, firewood, and charcoal—will also struggle to exert much deterrence against the enemy.

Rather than that, it would be better to withdraw the troops and let the soldiers, civilians, and people return home to recuperate, to relieve the fatigue of the long march and prolonged warfare..."

Clearly, Liu Yang had said much, but the most important consideration lay in that final point—the climate problem of the northeast. The room suddenly fell quiet, all waiting for Emperor Liu's reaction.

The brothers Liu Xu and Liu Xi were also pondering, but both could not help casting sidelong glances at Liu Yang. Being at Emperor Liu's side, they understood quite a bit of the situation—especially regarding the topic of withdrawal, Emperor Liu had never once revealed his stance on it to anyone, and that in itself was a kind of stance.

After Liu Yang finished speaking, a trace of calm composure appeared on his face. His expression gradually settled as he quietly awaited Emperor Liu's judgment, like a man awaiting his sentence.

In the past, Crown Prince Liu Yang had been unremarkable in governance and handling of affairs—tepid as water, even giving an impression of mediocrity. On matters of state and military, he was more like an echo of Emperor Liu.

But this time, for the first time, he had expressed his own view to Emperor Liu, raising a different voice...

Emperor Liu, too, fell into contemplation. Though his expression appeared indifferent, his slightly furrowed brow proved he was genuinely thinking. In the past, toward any suggestion from Liu Yang or his handling of state affairs, he had always adopted an attitude of examination and evaluation.

But this time, he was seriously considering Liu Yang's opinion, treating it as a military and political remonstrance from a minister. And Liu Yang's words had indeed brought him some more weighty considerations.

One point had served as a reminder to Emperor Liu, something he had previously overlooked. That was the weather problem in the northeast. Regarding winter operations, Emperor Liu had always believed that with sufficient logistical supply and adequate cold-weather provisions, the challenge could be overcome.

This was Emperor Liu thinking from past campaign precedents—whether the southern campaign into Huainan in the fourth year of Qianyou, or the first northern expedition in the eleventh year of Qianyou, both had spanned two years and three seasons, enduring through entire winters while maintaining constant pressure on the enemy.

However, speaking strictly on the merits, in the northeast—with its unfamiliar and extremely harsh climatic conditions—the previous two examples could not be fully used as comparisons. Setting aside the costs to be paid, even the effectiveness that could be achieved remained an open question.

Especially when Liu Yang mentioned last year's inspection tour of the northwest—this suddenly stirred Emperor Liu's memories. One must understand, last year the field headquarters had only ten thousand people, and it was not even wartime. Merely traveling against wind and cold, under the pressure of death by freezing, they had been forced to spend the entire winter in Liangzhou.

Now in the northeast, there were four hundred thousand soldiers and civilians. With so many people, the problems faced and difficulties to overcome could not simply be multiplied by a number.

Thinking back to last year's experience, even with a heated kang beneath him, Emperor Liu's legs could not help trembling a few times—let alone the northeast? As for the actual conditions there, he truly had never inspected them in person. He had always avoided governing the state from memorials, but this time, he seemed to be commanding the army from battle reports, immersed in his own deliberations.

As for the other reasons Liu Yang had mentioned, they were of course reasonable, and Emperor Liu was not unmoved. Previously, he had entertained the thought of withdrawing from Liaodong—not to end the war, but to transfer the Liaodong forces to reinforce the western front.

With Goryeo's sudden movements, Emperor Liu had temporarily abandoned that idea and resolved to persist in Liaodong—striking north against the Khitan and south against Goryeo.

Yet now, Liu Yang's remonstrance called for a large-scale withdrawal from Liaodong—something Emperor Liu had never even conceived of...

As he pondered, Emperor Liu's expression shifted accordingly, quite richly. After a long silence, Emperor Liu finally turned his head, looked at the Crown Prince who had been standing for quite a while, and said calmly: "If we withdraw the troops and the Liaodong war situation reverses, what then? If there is a loss and we need to rush to the rescue, dispatching generals and mobilizing troops—the complications and troubles in the process would be no small matter!"

Emperor Liu's opening words broke the heavy atmosphere in the air. Liu Yang's mood relaxed slightly, and even the restless brothers Liu Xu and Liu Xi felt as if released from bondage, their bodies loosening a bit as they looked at the Crown Prince.

Liu Yang bowed with clasped hands: "Your subject has discussed with the commanders—leaving one hundred thousand troops is sufficient to hold the Khitan in the north and repel Goryeo in the south. The rest can all be temporarily withdrawn!"

"Has a specific withdrawal plan been drafted?" Emperor Liu asked.

When Emperor Liu asked about the specific plan, it proved that in his heart he was no longer so resistant to the withdrawal—there was even the possibility he might accept the recommendation.

Liu Yang naturally sensed this as well. After a moment's deliberation, he reported: "According to the design, we still need to await the results of the land and naval advances on both the northern and southern routes. The return will also be by both land and sea! On land there should be little problem—only for the sea route, once the Goryeo fleet is destroyed and the maritime threat eliminated, we can return by sea!"

Hearing this, Emperor Liu nodded lightly in approval. After brief consideration, he showed Liu Yang a slight smile: "Sending Guo Tingwei south to attack the Goryeo fleet—the true intention was also to prepare for a withdrawal by sea?"

Upon the question, Liu Yang maintained a respectful posture, bowing low, and replied: "Yes!"