Chapter 1409: Today We Hunt Rabbits, Tomorrow We Hunt Enemies

As the emperor and empress talked in private, another wave of cheers erupted from the field. The competition had reached its fourth round, with the master archers each displaying their finest skills. The one drawing cheers this time was a young officer—at fifty paces, riding at full gallop, he loosed two arrows simultaneously, and both struck true, driving straight into the heart of the target. Such skill could truly be called divine.

Even Emperor Liu, caught up in the lively atmosphere, cast a few extra glances of attention. Pointing at the officer, he instructed Yan Tuo, "Go ask—who is that man?"

"Yes!" Yan Tuo accepted the order without the slightest delay, hurried down from the platform, and went to investigate.

Seeing this, Empress Fu smiled lightly and said, "His Majesty's heart stirs at the sight of prey again—the desire to cherish talent has arisen?"

Emperor Liu replied very naturally, "I have always been this way! At any time, the most important thing is talent. I naturally hope that the realm can produce an endless stream of talented people, to jointly build the glory of the Great Han and share in these peaceful times!"

"His Majesty's breadth of mind and magnanimity are, as always, vast and wide!" Empress Fu offered some flattering words as well. Of course, they were half true and half false—Emperor Liu's style had always been that in private matters he might not lack narrowness, but in public affairs he always considered the overall situation with ample magnanimity.

"Between you and me, husband and wife, there's no need for such flattery and ceremony!" Emperor Liu said this—perhaps because he was accustomed to Empress Fu's dignified solemnity, when she said something pleasing, Emperor Liu instead felt unaccustomed to it.

Soon, Yan Tuo returned, striding quickly to before the imperial presence, standing still and leaning forward, reporting respectfully: "Your Majesty, this young officer is named Chen Jia, a native of Jincheng in Yingzhou, attached to the First Army of the Left Wing of the Longqi Army, holding the rank of Centurion. He participated in the northern expedition, fought bravely, and rendered distinguished service in battle. He was later transferred to the capital to fill a vacancy in the Longqi Army, and is renowned for his horsemanship and archery. For this hunt, he was selected by the Palace Command to display his skills before the imperial presence..."

Yan Tuo's inquiry had been fairly thorough. Listening to his report, a slight smile curled at the corner of Emperor Liu's mouth as he said, "So he is a man of the Longqi Army!"

After all, the Longqi Army was the force with which Emperor Liu had risen to power. By virtue of this connection, it was as if a special glory had been bestowed upon the officers and men of the army. For so many years—over twenty years now—it had always stood preeminent among the three yamen's imperial army, surpassing all other forces. It bore the name of "personal army" and was also hailed as the number one strong army in the realm.

Yan Tuo naturally understood Emperor Liu's closeness to and fondness for the Longqi Army. Noticing the smile at the corner of his mouth, he immediately began to flatter: "Thanks to His Majesty's grace and favor, the Longqi Army has been blessed with an endless stream of talents!"

Hearing this, the corner of Emperor Liu's mouth twitched. As the first army of the three yamen's imperial troops, it enjoyed the most abundant resources. Officers and men from within and without eagerly aspired to join, and elite soldiers and strong generals were all transferred in—so of course talents emerged in endless succession.

Seeing that Emperor Liu had no great reaction to his flattery, Yan Tuo didn't mind. After all, it wasn't as if every time he curried favor he could please Emperor Liu and receive positive feedback.

"Does Your Majesty wish to summon him?" Seeing Emperor Liu's look of keen interest, Yan Tuo took the initiative to ask.

But he was met with Emperor Liu's refusal: "No need, let things proceed as usual!"

The Emperor Liu of today was no longer like the past, exerting influence with all his might to win over the hearts of the army. A mere centurion, no matter how exquisite his horsemanship and archery, could hardly easily catch Emperor Liu's eye. The Great Han army was now already stable and brimming with talent; there was no need to rack his brains seeking and winning over talents as in those days.

Of course, what truly stirred Emperor Liu was that this was another officer who had risen from the bottom rungs, without any background or backing. In recent years, the rising stars in the Han army were, without question, mainly second-generation and third-generation military scions. Those who had made a name for themselves were either sons of meritorious officials or descendants of famed generals.

This was unavoidable. Meritorious officials and nobles had braved life and death to render distinguished service. Besides power, wealth, and honor, shielding their descendants was also an important pursuit. And the rise of second- and third-generation military scions, gradually inheriting the glory of their forebears and following in their footsteps to develop and strive within the army, also conformed to natural justice and human sentiment.

These people had the abundant resources given by their fathers and grandfathers to draw upon, a solid foundation, and a high level of cultivation beyond that of ordinary men—so naturally they were more likely to be promoted and rise to prominence. In recent years, the old ministers and old generals had gradually withered away or retreated behind the scenes. Though a number of veteran commanders still stood at the forefront, the descendants of meritorious nobles and generals were also gradually rising, replacing the old guard and assuming important positions, becoming the backbone of the army.

This was an irresistible tide, and it had already manifested during the Kaibao northern expedition. The old marshals and old generals still contributed their remaining vigor, even presiding over the overall situation, but the younger generation had performed no less admirably. In the Bureau of Military Affairs' reorganization of the army after the spring began, there had indeed been a batch of middle-aged and young generals who received promotions and assumed more important military posts—and the vast majority of them were second-generation meritorious nobles.

Regarding such a situation, Emperor Liu naturally saw it as clearly as fire, and for a long period of time had held a favorable attitude toward it. The military merit nobility class was a product that Emperor Liu had nurtured and compromised with to prop up imperial authority and consolidate the ruling class. As long as it was guaranteed not to turn against him, he would not deliberately suppress it.

On this point, Emperor Liu could be said to have confidence and be sufficiently at ease. Over the past twenty-plus years, the implementation of many policies and the establishment of many institutions had all been made with a consideration for balance, revolving around this core philosophy.

However, Emperor Liu permitted a class to exist and grow, but he did not allow it to swell unchecked. Thus, he began to balance the internal factions of the military merit nobility. This was not difficult to accomplish, for within the nobility there were naturally many cliques, and within the army each had its own mountain stronghold. The power to dispatch troops had always remained in the hands of the court, and the power to govern the troops was likewise subject to the court's restraint and influence.

At the same time, there was support for commoner bureaucrats, which had been especially pronounced in recent years—Zhao Pu's appointment as chancellor being the most representative measure.

On this basis, the promotion of officers and men from humble and commoner backgrounds was also underway. For example, last year Emperor Liu personally received several officers and men who had returned to the Great Han from Mobei, personally bestowed rewards and promotions upon them, and promoted a low-ranking soldier named Bai Yang, who had previously been of no repute, several ranks to become a palace guard officer. There was also an intention to support those officers and men outside the military merit nobility bloc, while at the same time inspiring all commoner officers and men across the realm to strive for advancement.

As emperor, every move, every word, and every action of Emperor Liu inevitably involved political calculations—these had almost become his instinct.

The final victor of the horsemanship and archery competition came as little surprise. The winner was that young officer named Chen Jia—not only for his eye-catching and stunning displays, but also because his cumulative score across the rounds was the highest, thus outshining all the heroes and seizing first place.

Once the results of the horsemanship and archery contest were announced, rewards were given to each. Chen Jia received a full set of fine horses, exquisite armor, and weapons. The others, though slightly lesser, still received generous rewards. Besides material prizes, there were also merit records within each army, and promotions in rank and office were only natural. After all, for the officers selected to compete before the imperial presence, this was itself a gilding experience.

About an hour or so later, Zhang Yong came to report that the shooting and hunting inspection had concluded, and the princes and noble scions who had participated were returning one after another with their catches.

"Who caught the most?" Emperor Liu asked Zhang Yong with slight curiosity.

Zhang Yong replied crisply: "To answer Your Majesty, according to the tally, Guo Shilong, an officer of the guard battalion, caught the most—5 pheasants, 2 rabbits, 3 deer, 4 wildcats, and also a leopard, totaling 15 catches of various sizes!"

"A tiger cub from a general's gate! The Guo family's son lives up to his grandfather's legacy!" Emperor Liu smiled and immediately said, "Reward him!"

Guo Shilong was the grandson of Guo Congyi, Duke of Shangdang.

The princes had also participated in the hunt. Of course, Liu Fang and Liu Min, the brothers most skilled in martial arts, were not present, so naturally there was nothing particularly outstanding. If anyone had unexpectedly performed remarkably, Emperor Liu would instead have been suspicious.

However, what Emperor Liu was more concerned about at this moment was the performance of the Thirteenth Prince, Liu Ye. That lad's display before him earlier had had some effect—at least it had piqued his interest.

"Where is Liu Ye?"

"The Thirteenth Prince has also returned to camp!"

"Summon him!"

Soon, Liu Ye came before the imperial presence upon summons, which drew the attention of nearly everyone. When the emperor treated someone specially, the ministers and guests naturally took great interest as well.

Liu Ye was still in his previous attire, but his face was weary, and his body bore some mud and grime, looking somewhat bedraggled. However, his expression was rather serious.

In his hand, he held a gray rabbit, its fur stained with blood. With a slightly regretful tone, he said, "Your son is incompetent—I only caught one rabbit!"

This time Emperor Liu was truly astonished. He looked at the dead rabbit, then noticed Liu Ye's calm little face, entirely without the tension or discomfort of having taken a life. He sighed inwardly.

"Hunting a rabbit is not necessarily easier than shooting a tiger—it tests one's archery just the same!" Emperor Liu remarked with a light laugh. "Little Thirteen, it seems I have underestimated you! Go on, what reward do you want?"

Hearing this, a smile finally appeared on Liu Ye's little face, and his eyes clearly showed some excitement—the emotion of having gained Emperor Liu's recognition. He shook his head slightly and said with excitement, "Your son wants no reward—I only ask that Father accept this rabbit!"

"Good!" Emperor Liu replied without the slightest hesitation. "This sentiment of yours, I accept it!"

He beckoned Liu Ye forward, gently stroking the back of his head. This was probably the first time Emperor Liu had been so gentle and affectionate with him: "Today, you hunted but one rabbit to offer to your father. Your father will wait for you to grow up—then you can hunt enemies for your father!"

"Yes!" Liu Ye nodded seriously, his little face full of solemnity.