Chapter 1354: The Crown Prince's Final Days in Liaodong

While the prefectures of the northern circuits of the Great Han began to suffer wave after wave of cold snaps, the vast northeastern lands were already a world of ice and snow—blizzards filled the sky, and the biting cold pierced to the bone.

Although Crown Prince Liu Yang had considered moving the seat of Liaodong's administration north to Shenzhou, for the newly taken Liaodong, stability and recovery came first. For now, the military and political center remained in Liaoyang City, situated on the shaded bank of the East Liang River.

As prefectural and county officials led by Administration Commissioner Song Xiong gradually assumed their posts, after several months of organization, the pacification efforts in Liaodong had shown results. Though far from stable, the governing order of the Great Han had been initially established.

Compared to before winter, Liaoyang City had grown considerably quieter. The scenes of famine victims and refugees that had once filled the city were gone—under the dispatch of the Liaodong authorities, they had been settled in newly established villages, rebuilding their homes and struggling to survive. The war that swept across all of Liaodong was brutal, but for the local people of all ethnicities, even more brutal was this harsh winter. Fortunately, the Great Han government took responsibility, distributing life-saving grain to every township and village, giving people hope.

The biggest change in Liaoyang was the withdrawal of the main army. The vast military camps outside the city were now empty, with timber left for the people to dismantle and use for firewood. As a result, several of the camp fortifications looked quite dilapidated.

The Han army troops assigned to remain in Liaoyang were not few in number—fully twenty thousand infantry and cavalry—but they were all quartered within the city, where there were enough well-ordered barracks for the soldiers to rest and train.

The remaining official and civilian population within Liaoyang City numbered less than twenty thousand—even fewer than the garrison—and included a portion of able-bodied laborers and young men and women selected from among the refugees, which somewhat filled out the atmosphere of this proper circuit seat.

From this, one could see how severe the destruction wrought by the two states' fierce fighting in Liaodong had been, directly reflected in the demographic changes. There was basically no doubt that among all the circuits of the Great Han, the newly established Liaodong Circuit had the smallest population.

According to the final resolution on post-war Liaodong, sixty thousand troops were to remain stationed there, guarding the newly occupied lands, maintaining pressure on the remnants of the Liao army, and ready to adjust the situation in the northeast at any time.

The selection of the sixty thousand garrison troops was another test for Liu Yang. Which units stayed and which generals remained all required careful consideration—after all, not many were willing to remain in the northeast, especially given Liaodong's devastated condition.

This could not be forced through by rigid military orders alone; the morale of the troops had to be taken into account, or problems would inevitably arise. This required comprehensive consideration, weighing all factors.

In the end, based on Emperor Liu's instructions, with the counsel of the two Dukes Zhao and Gao, the decision was made. Of the sixty thousand troops, fifteen thousand were from the imperial army, selected from the various imperial units that had accompanied the campaign. These men were the most reluctant—after all, they were the imperial army—but the orders were also the most forceful. Accustomed to the splendor of the two capitals, they had to be tempered in the borderlands, to shed their extravagance.

Another fifteen thousand were northern border garrison soldiers whose service terms had expired or were about to expire; they were extended for one year, after which the court would rotate them out. Of course, one could only hope the year passed smoothly.

The remainder came mostly from the regional command armies and militia of the Yan Mountains, Hebei, and Henan, including five thousand barbarian cavalry. By now, the barbarian troops in the Great Han's military system had become increasingly useful—every campaign inevitably required their conscription. This northern expedition had seen the largest-scale conscription yet. These troops had little autonomy but were highly effective—like bricks, placed wherever the court needed them.

The Liaodong garrison was mainly stationed in four locations. The first was the newly seized Tongzhou region, where twenty thousand troops were left to guard, controlling the central Songliao Plain, threatening Huanglong Prefecture to the north and shielding Liaodong to the south.

The second was, of course, Liaoyang. Of the remaining two locations, one was the Laiyuan region in southern Liaodong, facing Goryeo, with only five thousand troops stationed—not many, reflecting a dismissive attitude toward the Goryeo threat. The other was Jinzhou, which held the tail end of the Liaoxi Corridor, controlling the gateway between the Yan Mountains and Liaodong.

The rest were distributed among the various prefectural cities of Liaodong, bearing garrison and public security duties until the local military and policing systems were established, assisting local authorities in governing their regions.

By mid-November, with the final contingent of five thousand troops departing from Liaoyang, the great withdrawal from Liaodong was essentially declared complete. This also meant that Liu Yang's assignment in Liaodong was nearly finished—his departure from Liaodong was not far off.

Although the northern expedition had ended, the Eastern Route Army's organizational structure had not been dismantled. The northern expedition field headquarters remained in Liaoyang, with its directly subordinate guard troops being reorganized, and military clerks at all levels making their final preparations to return with the Crown Prince.

In recent days, the two commanders Zhao Kuangyin and Gao Huaide had entered a relaxed state—this had been the case since the Battle of Tongzhou and the Battle of Laiyuan. Both had deliberately set aside military authority, letting the Crown Prince handle affairs.

It must be said that during the earlier fighting in Liaodong, Zhao Kuangyin had effectively controlled the army and all military matters. His Highness the Crown Prince was magnanimous and broad-minded, daring to delegate authority.

But this had caused some damage to the Crown Prince's prestige. Though it had served the war effort, for the sake of smooth military command and the pursuit of victory, now that the fighting was over, other factors had to be considered. Most importantly, the thoughts of the Crown Prince and the Emperor had to be respected. There was no doubt that the army was thick with the Emperor's spies—the Emperor certainly knew of these matters.

Zhao Kuangyin, with his keen political instincts, naturally understood these principles. Even if it were merely worrying over nothing, he had to think carefully to avoid giving offense. Thus, Zhao Kuangyin transformed from army commander into something like an advisor.

There was a certain ease and freedom in this—Zhao Kuangyin drank and feasted with several close generals, perhaps going on winter hunts in the countryside. Gao Huaide was even more refined, enjoying not only horseback riding and archery but also playing music.

The closer it came to the end, the more hurried things felt—affairs were heavy, and there were many people to receive. In the Liaoyang government offices, Liu Yang was receiving a batch of officials, more than twenty in number, mostly of burly build with a tough, fierce air about them.

Liaodong lacked officials. Prefectural and county magistrates could be transferred from the interior, but certain clerical positions could not be filled in a short time. Thus, a batch of military clerks was directly selected from the army to fill local posts.

Liu Yang personally received these men, both to reassure them and to offer instructions—serving as clerks in the military was ultimately different from serving in local government, and they needed to pay attention to methods and approaches. In this matter, Liu Yang as Crown Prince was very meticulous. And Liu Yang's influence on Liaodong spread through such subtle details, like gentle rain soaking everything silently—one could say it reached every aspect.

After giving his instructions, he ordered Murong Defeng to lead them out and additionally bestowed a meal of food and drink. The group of military clerks withdrew gratefully. The study was left with only him alone, and a wave of fatigue surfaced on his face. Liu Yang could not help but raise a hand to pinch his brow.

"Your Highness, Governor Song requests an audience!" Ma Huaiyu came to report.

"Quickly, invite him in!" Liu Yang immediately perked up.

Soon, Song Xiong entered and performed the rites. Though advanced in years, he was hale and spirited, his frame appearing quite sturdy. Liu Yang, showing respect for the worthy, personally helped Song Xiong up and said, "Governor, there is no need for such ceremony!"

They sat down to converse, and a servant served tea. Liu Yang looked at Song Xiong and asked, "I am about to return to Youzhou and had intended to discuss matters with you—and here you have already come!"

Setting down his teacup, Song Xiong asked, "May I ask on what day Your Highness departs?"

Liu Yang said, "The day after tomorrow!"

"At that time, your subject will lead the Liaodong officials in respectfully seeing off Your Highness!" Song Xiong stated.

Liu Yang smiled and said to Song Xiong, "These past days, the resettlement of Liaodong has gradually fallen into order—all thanks to your coordination, Governor. With you here, Liaodong can be stabilized, and the court can rest easy!"

"Your subject has only just begun handling some mundane affairs. Liaodong still has a considerable way to go before achieving proper governance—I dare not claim any credit!" Song Xiong said. "Nothing has yet been put on the right track. True governance must wait until next year, after the weather warms. Agriculture is the foundation of the state, and food is the security of the people. Only when agricultural matters are properly managed can Liaodong truly achieve peace and governance, and the people gradually turn their hearts toward us!"

"With words like these from you, Governor, Liaodong's peace and governance are within reach!" Hearing this, Liu Yang showed a slight smile, greatly approving of his thinking. "Liaodong is devastated, and restoring governance faces many difficulties. If you need any help, do not hesitate to ask!"

"Money, grain, farming tools, seeds, and other supplies certainly need the court's support. But from my inspections of the various prefectures, material shortages can be quickly remedied. What is most important for solidifying Liaodong's development is the massive loss of population!" Song Xiong said.

"I have made inquiries—compared to before the war, Liaodong's population has not even retained three in ten. As things stand, it is far too sparse, and most are the elderly and weak. If the population is not replenished, Liaodong will never be able to revive or become self-sufficient. Relying solely on court allocations and support works in the short term, but over the long term, it may become a burden on the court..."

Hearing this, Liu Yang furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, then looked up and said, "What you speak of, Governor, is the fundamental problem!"