Chapter 1331: A New Situation, A New Stage

Cao Bin had no choice but to play the villain, effectively ruining the family banquet Emperor Liu had prepared for Liu Yang and Liu Xu. He did not return to the feast, and afterward the two Liu brothers were summoned one after another; without Emperor Liu as the head of the household, the family banquet naturally lost all its flavor and soon broke up.

Nominally, citing the urgency of military affairs and the alarm at the frontier passes, Emperor Liu once again issued a gag order regarding matters in Mobei, issuing threats to those in the know with near-ferocity.

Until this matter had some resolution, Emperor Liu still did not want the Empress and the Worthy Consort to know—it would only add to their worry and grief, and would also weigh on his own heart. At present, he simply did not have the energy to comfort two mothers who might have lost their children.

Of course, inwardly he did harbor some regret over sending Liu Fang and Liu Min to gain experience on the battlefield, though he would never show it.

At dawn, before the sky was fully bright, palace eunuchs in the imperial gardens were already diligently sweeping the fallen leaves of the night, braving the autumn chill. The "swish, swish" sound was quite arresting to the ear.

Inside the warm chamber, Emperor Liu's cold seemed to have worsened somewhat, compounded by a night of little sleep. His condition was terrible—dark bags under his eyes, and his face no longer bore a healthy complexion.

However, he did not take to his bed. Instead, he summoned the two brothers Liu Yang and Liu Xu to share the morning meal. It was very light fare—plain congee, green vegetables, and apart from some flatbread, little in the way of grease. Yet the three of them, father and sons, ate with considerable relish. The imperial chefs' superb skill could make even the simplest ingredients into something special; the flavor was never lacking.

The sound of chewing finally ceased. Seeing Emperor Liu begin to wipe his mouth, the Liu brothers also set down their chopsticks and tidied themselves. It was plain that the two brothers had also slept poorly the night before—the reason needed no elaboration.

"Originally, I intended to let you two stay a few more days, but with the state's affairs so urgent, there's no room for personal sentiment!" Raising his eyes to look at the two brothers, Emperor Liu said, "Consider this meal my farewell toast to you both!"

Liu Yang rose, and Liu Xu followed, both bowing together: "State affairs come first—please give your commands, Your Majesty!"

Naturally, he first gave instructions to Liu Yang. Emperor Liu said directly: "Return to Liaodong at once. Make comprehensive preparations for the withdrawal, be thorough in your coordination! Select thirty thousand elite troops to withdraw first to the Yan Mountains for rest and reorganization!"

"Yes!" Liu Yang naturally understood Emperor Liu's intentions—this was also to draw troops to counter the Liao army raiding the southern frontier. Even if they might not arrive in time to relieve the emergency, strengthening the mobile forces at hand and making more thorough preparations was still the right thing to do.

"If I devote myself to the withdrawal, I fear I won't have the strength to handle Liaodong's civil administration and relief efforts. I hope the court can dispatch a senior minister to oversee Liaodong's governance and preside over the subsequent pacification work!" Liu Yang proactively suggested.

Emperor Liu was well aware of this point. That Liu Yang had managed to reach his current level was already quite remarkable; adding more burdens would overload him. Although he had some capable staff around him, none could oversee overall affairs—they simply lacked experience.

"Do you have anyone in mind?" Emperor Liu asked.

Liu Yang thought for a moment, then said: "In Liaodong at present, only Han Hui, the Fiscal Commissioner of the field headquarters, has sufficient stature. However, he presides over military supply transport, and it seems inadvisable to move him lightly!"

"Han Hui won't do!" As expected, Emperor Liu refused directly: "Finding a chief official for Liaodong is easy; finding someone to replace Han Hui and guarantee the stable operation of military supply allocation—that's hard!"

After considering for a moment, Emperor Liu said directly: "Take Song Xiong with you—Liaodong's civil administration can be handed over to him!"

"Yes!"

Song Xiong was a renowned minister who, together with Chancellor Song Qi, was known as the "Two Songs"—both were core members of the original Yan army system and capable officials under Dongping Prince Zhao Kuangzan.

After the court took over Youyan, although the original Yan army civil and military officials were extensively broken up and redistributed, they were all properly settled. Talents like the Two Songs received even greater promotion.

Song Qi, through his achievements in the Shanyang post, rose swiftly, entered the central government, and became a chancellor—this almost shattered Emperor Liu's deep-rooted prejudice and suspicion toward the "Yan faction."

Song Xiong's official career, while not as smooth and expansive as Song Qi's, had kept him as a major regional official. He had contributed considerably to assisting the court in receiving and digesting the prefectures and counties of the Yan Mountains.

Now, he was still the influential Judicial Commissioner of the Yan Mountains. With this transfer, the final step to becoming a chief official had finally been crossed.

Although Liaodong was remote, desolate, and still wracked by war, that was precisely where achievements could be made. Song Qi's resume and accomplishments were the best model to follow.

Even if he couldn't become as favored by Emperor Liu as Song Qi, or become a chancellor and be transferred to the capital to serve as a chief official of a ministry, there was still a chance. But the prerequisite was to do well and produce results.

"Compared to advancing, withdrawing troops requires more caution. Proceed with care, and pay special attention to troop morale." Emperor Liu continued instructing Liu Yang: "The ongoing campaigns must not be relaxed or neglected—one slight misstep could bring disastrous consequences! In this matter, you must handle things well with Zhao Kuangyin!"

"Yes!" Hearing this, Liu Yang's young face immediately took on a serious expression, and the string in his heart seemed to tighten all at once.

"Pack up and go directly to Wang Yanchao's army—the liaison and incitement of the Xi people will be your responsibility!" Emperor Liu turned to Liu Xu and instructed: "Cao Bin also suggested I recall Wang Yanchao's army to strengthen the Yan Mountains' defenses and rush reinforcements to Shanyang—I vetoed it!

The Liao army's spearhead is already right under our noses, yet I still will not choose to respond passively. No matter how the Shanyang situation develops, whether it deteriorates, we must seek to break the deadlock proactively.

Whatever demands the Xi king Chouning makes, if you deem them appropriate, you may agree on my behalf! If you can truly incite the Xi to turn against the Khitan and serve our purposes, then have Wang Yanchao lead his army north—straight into the Liao army's heart, threatening Shangjing.

Since Yelu Xian dares to raid our borders, let him feel the price that must be paid!"

Emperor Liu's words remained as confident and forceful as ever—of course, there was also a sense of indignation at being provoked. But what they brought to Liu Xu was heavy pressure.

He too wanted to establish merit, and Emperor Liu had given him this opportunity, but actually achieving it was no easy matter. Especially the task of inciting the Xi to turn against the Khitan—the weighing of interests, the grasp of the proper measure—was no small challenge for the equally young Liu Xu.

But since Emperor Liu had issued the order, Liu Xu could hardly show timidity. With a solemn expression, he clasped his hands and replied: "Yes!"

However, Emperor Liu also knew that leaving this matter entirely to Liu Xu was still somewhat difficult. In such circumstances, testing his son was secondary—the primary concern was the war situation.

Therefore, after a moment's thought, Emperor Liu added: "I'm assigning Wang Zhaoyuan to you, to accompany you north. He is familiar with Khitan and Xi affairs and can serve as your advisor!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" A hint of relief appeared on Liu Xu's brow—he naturally knew of Wang Zhaoyuan as well.

The "Little Zhuge" of years past had now completely transformed into the Great Han's expert on foreign affairs. Especially in matters concerning Liao, after more than a decade of accumulation, he was thoroughly versed in Khitan affairs. He had represented the court on several missions to Liao—the last time being this very year, when he went to Shangjing on behalf of Emperor Liu to offer condolences for Yelu Jing's death.

His abilities in other areas might still be debatable, but having Wang Zhaoyuan accompany Liu Xu to mobilize the Xi people was well within his capabilities. Despite his advanced age, his thinking was not dull in the least, and his tongue remained sharp.

"After bidding farewell to the Empress, you may go!" Having said all that needed to be said, Emperor Liu did not stand on ceremony and waved his hand.

"Yes!" The two acknowledged the order.

Before withdrawing, Liu Yang hesitated for a moment. Looking at Emperor Liu's weary face, he said in a deep tone: "Father, please do not worry too much about the Fourth Brother and Sixth Brother. They are favored by you and by Heaven—they will surely turn misfortune into fortune and return safely!"

The Liu brothers were, of course, among those in the know.

Seeing this, Emperor Liu's face showed neither dejection nor worry. He merely said with a somewhat stubborn air: "No need to comfort me. Those lost are not just my two sons—there are so many soldiers as well! Now is not the time for worry. How to resolve the current military situation is the foremost priority! You two should devote yourselves wholly to your duties!"

"Yes!" Hearing Emperor Liu speak thus, the Liu brothers could hardly press further.

As the Liu brothers once again left Youzhou for their respective posts, and as one urgent military and administrative order after another was issued, the entire north was thrown into turmoil once more. But this time, the center of gravity in the struggle between Han and Liao shifted to the Shanyang circuit line.

Although Emperor Liu had already begun preparations to end the war, before it ended, a series of fierce and brutal battles erupted once again.

In Liaodong, Ma Renyu advanced north, launching a violent assault on Yelu Xiezhen's Tongzhou defense line, giving him no more time to catch his breath. With Zhao Kuangyin continuously sending reinforcements, the offensive expanded on all fronts.

As for the Liao army beyond the northern frontier, just as Cao Bin had feared, Yelu Xian indeed did not touch the Yefu Ridge defenses. He left a force behind as a deterrent, then turned his main army westward, sweeping through the Han army positions in Monan, with his spearhead aimed directly at Yunzhong.

The beacon fires north of the Great Wall rapidly spread into the passes. Shanyang was in dire peril—more swiftly than Emperor Liu and his ministers had predicted. Throughout this process, large numbers of Han soldiers and civilians continuously streamed toward Yunzhong to reinforce it, racing against time with the Liao army.

Whether it was good news or bad, the relationship between the Great Han and Goryeo had completely broken down. Goryeo troops crossed the Yalu River, arrived before Laiyuan City, and launched an attack.

And Guo Tingwei ultimately lived up to his word—he successfully blocked the Goryeo navy at Shaocheng Harbor. The naval force Goryeo had assembled to intimidate the Great Han was nearly annihilated under the powerful assault of the East Sea Fleet, with only a few ships escaping.

From this perspective, at least the threat from the sea was gone. The vast ocean remained a transport corridor the Great Han could use with confidence.

However, going to war with Goryeo inevitably tied up a considerable portion of the Han army's strength. While contending with Liao, they also had to invest energy in watching this neighbor.

As the fighting between Han and Liao unfolded along the Great Wall, the war situation between the two sides entered a new phase once again.