Chapter 1337: The Enemy Chieftain's Head, Presented

It was already deep into the night, the stars and moon dim and heavy, the entire Wild Fox Ridge shrouded beneath a curtain of darkness. Only the flickering lamplight within the fortress at the mouth of the pass dotted the dark night. Under the howling northern wind, the military stronghold seemed somewhat desolate—apart from the soldiers left behind to guard the imperial presence, most of the officers and men had already sallied forth to break the Liao.

Outside Emperor Liu's lodgings, the guards on night duty braved the wind and cold, still standing at solemn attention. The burly Inner Palace guards at the door in particular wore an air of "keep away, strangers."

In the dim, narrow corridor, sparse lamplight cast two figures into view—one seated, one standing; one still, one in motion. The seated man was at ease and composed, while the standing one paced back and forth. They were Duke of Jin Liu Xi and Academician of the Inner Cabinet, Secretariat Secretary Zhang Yong.

"I say, Academician Zhang, the victory dispatch arrived long ago, and the outcome is already decided. Stop pacing back and forth here—calm down. You look tired from all that walking; come sit for a while!" Liu Xi said casually, watching Zhang Yong pace to and fro, then shifted his rear to make room for him.

Zhang Yong was in his early thirties. Though plain-featured, he carried an air of scholarly refinement—an old-school Confucian academician who upheld moral principles, defended the orthodox position of Confucian thought, and held both himself and others to strict standards. Of course, if he were merely a simple Confucian minister, it would have been difficult for him to become a close minister of Emperor Liu.

What made Zhang Yong commendable was that while possessing moral cultivation, he also did not lack practical talent in the application of classical learning—this was also one of his philosophical tenets. While studying the classics, he had also devoted considerable energy to concrete professional skills such as law, water conservancy, and agriculture.

Emperor Liu appreciated this man. Beyond his innate talent, what mattered more was that he saw in him shadows of Wang Pu and Fan Zhi.

Of course, he was not a perfect man. For instance, in conduct and in office, he was clean, capable, and self-disciplined, yet he placed excessive importance on reputation. Moreover, he was hasty in handling matters—when faced with urgent affairs, he often found it hard to remain composed.

And so it was now: having come with Liu Xi to seek an audience and report on military developments, he could not stand still, waiting in anxiety. Had anyone else been teasing him, Zhang Yong would likely have already felt displeased. But facing Liu Xi, he could only offer a simple, honest smile and reply: "Victory reports arrive one after another; your subject's heart surges with emotion and I cannot contain myself. Your Highness must forgive my embarrassment!"

Liu Xi smiled, sizing up Zhang Yong, finding the man amusing. People like Zhang Yong were not favored by their colleagues—he devoted himself wholly to public duty, kept few private friendships, and showed no leniency in handling affairs. Others considered him stingy and mocked him for courting fame, but in Liu Xi's view, if the Great Han had a few more officials like Zhang Yong who applied classical learning to practical governance, it would be a clear stream in the officialdom.

"Academician Zhang is full of fervent zeal for the state and court, for the common people—truly admirable!" Liu Xi spoke flattering words.

"Your Highness overpraises me! Your subject does not deserve it! His Majesty did not disdain my lowliness, raising me with grace as deep as the Eastern Sea. I dare not forget it, and can only devote myself utterly to repay even a ten-thousandth of it..." Zhang Yong said, even cupping his hands toward the room within.

Seeing that Zhang Yong never failed to express his gratitude and reverence toward Emperor Liu even in speech, Liu Xi smiled faintly and said: "Who says Academician Zhang is cold and unfeeling? I think whoever said such a thing has absolutely no discernment."

"Your Highness jests!"

As the two chatted idly, a servant within the room replenished the candles, brightening things somewhat. Soon, word came that Emperor Liu was summoning them. When receiving Liu Xi and Zhang Yong, Emperor Liu adopted a languid posture, simply dressed, as if he had just woken up.

"That sleep was thoroughly satisfying!" Taking his seat, Emperor Liu even stretched lazily and smiled at the two men.

Liu Xi: "Your Majesty has been rising early and retiring late these days, toiling over military affairs. You truly needed proper rest to nourish Your sacred person!"

Glancing at the deep darkness outside, the gusts of cold wind seeping in seemed to sober Emperor Liu somewhat. Shaking his somewhat groggy head, he looked at the two and said: "Tell me, what are the results of the battle?"

As early as the afternoon, upon learning that the Liao army had collapsed and victory was assured, Emperor Liu had set aside his concerns, ignored further matters, retired to bed, and slept soundly—a nap that lasted until this deep night. What pleased him was that upon waking, he could immediately hear the victory reports from the front.

Liu Xi yielded the opportunity to Zhang Yong, letting him make the report. Filled with gratitude, Zhang Yong produced a preliminary tally of the battle results and read in a brisk tone: "Your Majesty, in the battle at Swallow City, as of now, it is known that our army has slain over three thousand enemies and captured more than two thousand. The Liao army has scattered in rout; the Iron Cavalry and Dragon Swift cavalry are still pursuing and mopping up. The final tally awaits compilation, but it will surely be even richer than what has been reported.

At present, most of the officers and men have already returned victorious to camp, temporarily stationed at Swallow City. Commander-in-Chief Liu and Chief General Li are handling the aftermath. General Tian Renlang pursued the enemy over sixty li and, at Mandarin Duck Lake to the northwest, slew the Liao general Han Kuangmei before returning.

In this battle, the Liao army was utterly destroyed, our army won a great victory, and the objective was fully achieved!"

By the end, Zhang Yong's voice had risen noticeably. However, Emperor Liu's reaction was rather subdued, as if this were nothing major. And indeed—compared to the great battles Emperor Liu had experienced and the brilliant victories he had achieved in the past, this kind of victory was frankly a bit dull.

"A minor victory, hardly worth mentioning!" Emperor Liu's lips curled only slightly, his tone carrying a sharp edge as he said coldly: "Han Kuangmei's army was merely an appetizer. The main course is still at Shanyang, at Yunzhong! If we can leave the Liao sovereign and the Shanyang Liao army behind this time, that would be a true great victory!"

"Your Majesty speaks truly! Your subject was rash and overeager!" At this, Zhang Yong recovered from his excitement and joy, adjusted his mindset, and continued: "Now, the main army is temporarily resting at Swallow City. Generals Liu and Li have already begun reorganizing the troops. Per the plan, we will no longer concern ourselves with the routed remnants. Tomorrow, we shall break camp and march west, rushing to reinforce Shanyang and surround and annihilate the Liao army!

General Tian Renlang has already advanced ahead with three thousand imperial cavalry. Barring unforeseen circumstances, he should arrive at White Water Marsh the day after tomorrow!"

"This Tian Renlang is indeed a fine general!" Emperor Liu nodded, expressing satisfaction with the arrangement, his tone unsparing in its appreciation: "I recall that during the Qianyou northern expedition, at the great battle of Nankou, he rendered distinguished service in fierce combat!"

"Exactly!" Liu Xi echoed, then gestured outward. A soldier brought in a box, which Liu Xi took and presented: "This was sent by Commander-in-Chief Liu—the head of the enemy commander Han Kuangmei. In the fierce pursuit and annihilation battle at Mandarin Duck Lake, it was severed by one of General Tian's subordinates!"

To Emperor Liu, this seemed even more gratifying than receiving the victory dispatch. His brows rose slightly, and he gestured: "Open it! I want to see what sort of appearance this villain has!"

The box containing the head was opened. Under the bright lamplight, Emperor Liu examined it closely. The face was turned upward, not a bloody mess—it had clearly been washed—but the pallid, ghastly whiteness made it all the more terrifying.

But Emperor Liu had seen mountains of corpses and seas of blood—he was not in the least daunted. Instead, he pointed at Han Kuangmei's head with interest and laughed: "Just a gray-bearded old chieftain, nothing remarkable. To be so loyal to Liao, he deserved to end up with his head separated from his body!"

"Dispose of it!" Emperor Liu waved his hand in dismissal, his interest quickly fading.

"Draft an edict to Liu Tinghan—let him advance west and fight according to plan, no need to request instructions for every matter!" Emperor Liu instructed Zhang Yong.

"Yes!"

"Over at Yunzhong, the fighting should have already begun by now, shouldn't it?" Turning his gaze westward, Emperor Liu's eyes gleamed as he said in a low voice: "Swallow City here has made a good start. I hope the armies at Shanyang will not disappoint me! If we can leave the Liao emperor behind this time, then this northern expedition will reap an unexpectedly great joy!"

"Father, I have a suggestion I hope you will adopt!" At this moment, Liu Xi spoke with unusual seriousness.

Looking at him, Emperor Liu was somewhat surprised. Generally speaking, Liu Xi rarely offered counsel on his own initiative, but when he did, his words always carried substance. Slightly curious, Emperor Liu said: "Speak!"

"If the main army marches west to fight, Wild Fox Ridge will be left vulnerable. You are no longer suited to remain here. Though unlikely, if Liao forces come east from Yunzhong, the imperial presence would face a threat. For absolute safety, I beg you to leave temporarily and return to Youzhou! Moreover, the conditions here at Wild Fox Ridge are truly crude and not conducive to Your Sacred person's rest..." Liu Xi explained.

Hearing this, Emperor Liu's expression shifted slightly—not over his own safety, of course. He ordered Yan Tuo to fetch a map of Shanyang and examined it, pointing with his finger: "Our plan was arranged according to the assumption that the Liao army would retreat north. But if, upon sensing danger, they turn east instead? Would our troop deployment then reveal a gap?"

Liu Xi also observed the map, furrowing his brow in thought for a moment, then quickly shook his head: "Even if the Liao army senses something, they can hardly see the full picture of our preparations and movements. Under these circumstances, retreating north remains their best option. Not knowing our true strength, if they came east, they would be walking into a death trap. What I worry about is merely stray remnants of the Liao army disturbing Your Majesty's peace!"

Nodding, Emperor Liu concurred with Liu Xi's assessment. After a moment's thought, he smiled: "I am not so easily frightened back to Youzhou by such concerns! Here's what we'll do—dispatch a force to search westward along the south of the Great Wall, and if any remnants are found, exterminate them on the spot!"

"Yes!" With that, Liu Xi had no further objections. It sufficed to fill any gaps and cover any omissions.