Chapter 1370: The Emperor Visits the Bureau of Military Affairs

Though it was during the festival, the Bureau of Military Affairs was as solemn as ever, enveloped in an atmosphere of grave decorum. As the highest military authority of the Great Han, it had always been so—strict discipline being its foremost creed, a tradition traced back to the early days of the state when Yang Bin and Guo Wei held office.

In the military affairs chamber, a faint aroma of tea drifting through the air softened the tense, solemn mood. Cao Bin sat upright behind the desk, his expression so serious it bordered on rigid, buried in reviewing reports submitted from various regions, issuing military orders with stiff, methodical movements.

In the guest seat, Commissioner of Military Affairs Shi Shouxin sat in a relatively relaxed posture, holding a teacup and savoring the tea slowly, taking an occasional sip. Though he preferred wine, having sat in such a high official position for so many years, he had gradually come to appreciate the flavor of tea—or rather, what he savored was not the art of tea, but the art of officialdom.

"A northern campaign that mobilized nearly the entire nation—every dao and prefecture in the north contributed soldiers, not a single prefecture failed to provide corvée labor. To have experienced such a grand war as a commander is truly a lifetime's fulfillment!" Shi Shouxin sighed with emotion, and also some regret—regret that he could not personally take the field, but instead sat in the capital, working behind the scenes.

Of course, during wartime it was the frontline soldiers who bore the hardship, and after the war it was the meritorious who enjoyed the glory, while men like them still had to devote most of their energy to the myriad tedious affairs of post-war reconstruction.

Hearing this, Cao Bin's expression seemed incapable of changing as he replied calmly: "Liao has already been crushed. Even if remnant bandits remain and sporadic unrest persists, they will hardly become a major threat. From now on, the Great Han's realm will likely never see another war of this scale!"

"Another one?" Shi Shouxin immediately shook his head and said with a wry smile: "The chancellors of the Hall of State Affairs and the ministers of the various ministries would all strenuously remonstrate against it. Guohua accompanied His Majesty north, so you probably don't know the situation in the Eastern Capital during the campaign. At that time, the chancellors were beside themselves with anxiety, worrying day and night, constantly watching the military dispatches from the front, terrified that the war would go badly or drag on..."

Now, Shi Shouxin could speak of that time in a relaxed tone: "To supply this northern campaign, the court has already paid an enormous price. If the state's financial and manpower resources are ever exhausted, and another such great levy were to occur, I fear there would be concern of manpower depletion and fiscal collapse!"

"Perhaps it's not as severe as the chancellors fear, but indeed we cannot sustain prolonged warfare, especially such a massive levy that drags on for so long! I returned from Youzhou; I never stayed long enough in the other dao and prefectures to examine them closely, so I don't know their situation well, but under the Yan Mountains Circuit, the drain on manpower has been enormous—virtually every household has contributed corvée labor!" Cao Bin raised his head and sighed softly:

"Had His Majesty not halted hostilities in time, and had the court given full support with endless military supplies transported north, the first to fall into crisis would certainly have been the Yan Mountains Circuit! As for Shanyang, there's no need to say more—the Liao army broke through the passes and swept south, and the flames of war engulfed the Yunzhong region..."

"'South of Monan there is no royal court'—that describes the present moment!" Hearing Cao Bin's lament, Shi Shouxin turned his head, his tiger-like eyes sharp and piercing, and said with absolute certainty: "From now on, we can keep the Hu barbarians north of the Yin Mountains!"

"In the short term, yes, but if we seek lasting peace and stability, I fear it's not that simple! Liao has collapsed but not yet descended into chaos. If they weather this difficult period and recover their strength, the troubles will be endless! Moreover, the Great Han's borders have shifted several hundred li northward, extending to the Yin Mountains line and encompassing Monan—but that also means our border defenses will face trials never experienced before..." At this, Cao Bin's brows knitted tightly, and his face took on a pained expression.

"Then we should pursue them relentlessly and annihilate them completely! After suffering such a heavy blow, how easy could it be for the Khitan to recover their strength!" Shi Shouxin's words were clearly more aggressive.

Cao Bin, however, shook his head: "This northern campaign—whether venturing beyond the frontier or advancing east into Liaodong—was immensely difficult, far beyond comparison with the Qianyou northern expedition. If we continue to strike at Liao, it would necessarily be a distant expedition into foreign lands, and the difficulties would be even greater.

Previously, whether the Mobei expedition or the surprise attack on the Supreme Capital, both relied on catching the enemy off guard. Such extraordinary results cannot be sought on demand—having suffered this loss, the Khitan will hardly give us another opportunity.

Therefore, to continue campaigning north and striking the Khitan, the problems we face are by no means easy. Beyond the northern frontier is too vast—even with the Great Han's might, we cannot fully occupy and hold it all.

The circumstances before and after Liu Tinghan's Monan campaign also show that on the grasslands, once the enemy chooses to avoid battle and resort to guerrilla tactics, achieving complete victory is exceedingly rare. And the Liao army, from now on, will likely not easily confront the Great Han head-on again.

Between Han and Liao, grievances have accumulated for over twenty years, and now have become blood feuds that are difficult to dissolve. If Liao cannot be destroyed, what I can foresee is endless troubles and an unquiet northern frontier!"

"Guohua, you're just too cautious and worrisome!" Facing Cao Bin's litany of concerns, Shi Shouxin couldn't help but shake his head and said: "The Khitan have been severely wounded by us this time, their bones broken and sinews torn. Even if they're dead but not yet stiff, can they possibly be harder to deal with than before the war?"

After Shi Shouxin finished speaking, Cao Bin was visibly taken aback, blinking slowly before offering a wry smile: "I suppose I've been trapped in my own thinking, only considering the problems and difficulties the Great Han might face under the new circumstances!"

Letting out a breath, Cao Bin voiced another worried reflection: "However, even if Liao collapses and the Khitan are wiped out, the border defense issue must still be faced with caution. Since ancient times, the tribes beyond the northern frontier have been like weeds—impossible to cut down completely, withering and flourishing in cycles. Even if the Khitan decline, new powers will rise. As long as they can rely on the great desert, they will always be a source of trouble! We still need to devise strategies for lasting peace, or else the lands beyond the northern frontier will forever remain a threat to the Great Han..."

At this, Shi Shouxin appeared more composed, waving his hand and saying: "Guohua, as long as the Great Han is strong and prosperous, let tribes rise and fall as they may—none can move us in the slightest. We who hold military and political power need only consider border defense policy for the next twenty or thirty years. Twenty or thirty years from now, we may already be dead and gone, and there will be successors to plan according to the circumstances. Even for the two of us, to serve in the Bureau of Military Affairs and arrange border defense matters properly—that is already enough!"

Shi Shouxin was clearly more open-minded. Seeing him leisurely savoring his tea, Cao Bin finally smiled and said: "When it comes to breadth of vision, I am no match for the Commissioner!"

"Guohua is too modest!" Shi Shouxin said seriously: "You have far-reaching vision and genuine concern for the state and its people. What you just said perhaps ought to be presented in detail to His Majesty!"

Cao Bin nodded, a trace of fatigue appearing on his face. He rose from his seat, picked up several official documents, and handed them to Shi Shouxin, saying: "These several troop rotation orders still need the Commissioner's review!"

Just as Shi Shouxin was about to take them, an anxious cry of "Your Majesty!" came from outside. Both men started, and when they looked up, Emperor Liu had already strode in. They hurriedly bowed in greeting together.

Emperor Liu's face was expressionless as he surveyed the room, his gaze falling on Shi Shouxin, who had set down his teacup, and Cao Bin, who still held documents in his hands. After a moment of silence, a smile appeared on his face: "What are my two ministers discussing?"

Seeing this, both Shi and Cao unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Cao Bin reported: "To answer Your Majesty, there are several troop rotation orders for the northern passes that need to be issued!"

"Your Majesty came to inspect without our having time to greet you properly—please forgive our negligence!" Shi Shouxin stepped forward, respectfully welcoming Emperor Liu to take a seat.

"No need for such formality!" Emperor Liu said amiably, his gaze falling on Shi Shouxin's teacup, still steaming, and said: "I heard that the staff of the Bureau of Military Affairs are still on duty during the festival, so I came specially to beg a cup of tea!"

"Please, Your Majesty!" Shi Shouxin hurriedly ordered: "Someone, bring tea at once!"

Though what he feared most was precisely this kind of surprise visit from Emperor Liu, Shi Shouxin's face still displayed an expression of utmost honor, assuming a posture of respectfully awaiting imperial instruction.

Emperor Liu took the several military orders from Cao Bin's hands. They concerned the deployment of garrison troops at Shanyang and the construction of fortifications. Before the army had returned, Emperor Liu had left Tian Renlang in overall command of Shanyang's military affairs, but the overall defensive arrangements still required the Bureau of Military Affairs to adjust from a broader perspective.

"After this war, it can be said that the Great Han's entire northern border defense system needs to be rebuilt. The Bureau of Military Affairs must consider the matter comprehensively—a heavy task!" Emperor Liu said, looking at the two men.

"Your Majesty, the Bureau of Military Affairs' military deployments during this period have all revolved around this matter! The northern campaign threw the entire northern military and administrative structure into disarray, and it too needs to be reorganized!" Shi Shouxin replied.

Emperor Liu nodded and asked: "What is the current situation of the returning troops from the northern campaign?"

Cao Bin replied: "According to reports from various regions, apart from the troops left to garrison Liaodong, Dading Prefecture, and the Shanyang pass defenses, most of the regional forces have already returned to their respective dao and prefectures!"

"What about the imperial army?" Emperor Liu was still more concerned about core military forces like the imperial army.

"Rotation arrangements have already been made!" Cao Bin replied, then found a memorial and presented it to Emperor Liu: "Regarding replenishing the imperial army's numbers, the Bureau of Military Affairs has already reached a conclusion. Your servants believe we can select elite troops from the southern dao and prefectures to come to the capital for garrison duty, which would also somewhat balance the military registers between north and south!"

Emperor Liu glanced over it briefly and said: "Approved!"