Chapter 142: Preparing to Slaughter the Chicken

The twelfth year of Tianfu was a leap year, with an intercalary seventh month.

Time always has a way of washing things away. As the second seventh month passed its midpoint, the situation in the Central Plains could finally be described as "calm"—though somewhat grudgingly. The sight of starved corpses filling the prefectures and counties, and bandits gathering in the mountain forests, had still not improved much. But the local officials of the various prefectures, having observed the situation long enough and seeing that the Liu family had settled in the Eastern Capital with no reversal in sight for the near term, "came alive" again and began to govern the populace in the name of the Great Han.

Autumn was thick in the air. In the sparse fields across the Central Plains, crops were already ripening, bringing with them more hope. While officials and commoners alike looked forward to that hope, the Great Han court, having spent over two months securing its foothold in the Central Plains, finally had the wherewithal to turn its attention beyond the capital's environs to the prefectures of the realm.

In Chuigong Hall, several senior military and civil ministers were present along with Liu Chengyou, deliberating state affairs together with Liu Zhiyuan. The sole topic of the court discussion: the regional military governors.

With the reorganization of the imperial army entering its final stages, the court's confidence had grown noticeably, and it now had the spare capacity to reach out and direct the other prefectures and garrisons. Or rather, it needed to establish its authority—and the target for establishing that authority had settled on the fattest, loudest chicken of them all: Du Chongwei. It was largely within expectations; among all the military governors, only Du Chongwei had stuck his head out.

"Your Majesty, according to reports from the various prefectures, the governors reassigned in the previous round have mostly arrived at their new posts, those nearby having already taken up their duties. Those with longer journeys—such as Qingzhou and Anzhou—are still on the road." Yang Bin began his report, delivering a piece of good news.

Last month, when the situation in Kaifeng had eased slightly, Liu Zhiyuan had issued an edict carrying out a large-scale reassignment of the military governors across the various circuits and prefectures—replacing, swapping, and rotating them.

The governorships of Song, Xu, Yan, Xu, Deng, Xiang, An, Yun, Wei, Qing, and others across the Central Plains and Hebei had essentially all been changed out in one sweep—which was, in truth, fairly standard practice. Those governors being transferred naturally weren't happy about it, since they were being uprooted from their posts. But the Liu family's momentum was strong, and they added generous rewards and soothing gestures on top. Even those who were reluctant at heart mostly packed up and took to the road.

The pace of this, of course, varied from fast to slow. Take Yang Chengxin, for instance, transferred from the Pinglu governorship to the Anzhou governorship—from Qingzhou to Anzhou, nearly two thousand li by land and water combined. Moving an entire household that distance—never mind one month, even three months might not be enough for him to reach his post.

"Mm." Liu Zhiyuan nodded, then asked directly about the one garrison he cared about most: "What about Du Chongwei? Still no movement?"

Yang Bin's expression turned grave. "Still no sign of making any move at all. I fear Du Chongwei has made up his mind to defy Your Majesty's edict and oppose the court!"

Liu Zhiyuan's expression merely cooled a few degrees at this, with no particular look of surprise. Originally, Liu Zhiyuan had arranged to swap Du Chongwei with Gao Xingzhou, the Military Governor of the Guide Army, and had permitted him to bring his family and retainers, keeping all his family wealth intact. To set his mind at ease, he had even specially appointed Du Chongwei's "sworn brother" Li Shouzhen as Military Governor of Hezhong—a gesture of considerable sincerity. As long as Du Chongwei was willing to move, everything could be discussed.

But ever since the transfer edict had been issued, the other garrisons had all responded to one degree or another—except Du Chongwei's side, which gave no feedback at all, as if deaf to it all. Only when the Eastern Capital sent envoys to investigate did he reply that the transfer involved many matters, required time, and was being prepared.

And so he stalled for several more days. The Great Han court displayed great patience and planned to send people to "assist" him with the transfer—at which Du Chongwei immediately refused. Then, feedback from Yedu indicated he had finally begun the process of moving, loading his household goods onto carts. Du Chongwei's family holdings were quite substantial, which bought him a few more days—and then he went quiet again.

Only when the court issued a second edict urging him did Du Chongwei simply submit a memorial claiming illness, saying he was unfit for long travel. Afterward he reported that bandits had suddenly risen up in the Weibo region... In short, he was simply not convenient to transfer.

To this, the court became even more "reasonable and understanding," sending envoys to inform him: the Eastern Capital was vast and livable, with complete medical provisions—Duke Du could first come to the Eastern Capital to recuperate, and once recovered, proceed to Songzhou to take up his post. As for the bandit troubles in Weibo, the court would naturally dispatch troops, with the newly appointed Yedu Garrison Commander Gao Xingzhou responsible for suppressing them.

And so the back-and-forth dragged on, all the way to the present. In truth, by this point, both sides basically understood where things stood.

"Your Majesty, according to reports from Chanzhou, Du Chongwei has sealed the city gates and sent troops to blockade the roads between Yedu and Puyang. His rebellious intent is plain for all to see. The court must be prepared to respond at any moment." Guo Wei reported in turn.

"How are the troop deployments? How are the preparations for grain, equipment, and supplies?" Liu Zhiyuan asked.

Against Du Chongwei, the Great Han court had in fact long been making preparations. Upon the question, Shi Hongzhao immediately reported: "The Xingjie and Guangrui armies have already been ordered north, stationed at Baima and Puyang. The troops of Yunzhou, Yanzhou, and Mingzhou have also received orders to prepare defensive containment. All armies in the capital can march north to battle at any time!"

Wang Zhang followed up: "During this period, I have been ordered to requisition supplies. Grain, equipment, carts, horses, and boats have been prepared for fifty thousand infantry and cavalry, sufficient for half a year of campaigning. However, if the court wishes to undertake a punitive expedition, it would be best to wait until the autumn harvest is complete and the grain taxes are in the granaries."

Yang Bin nodded in agreement from the side: "Across the realm, there is a shortage of able-bodied men and a shortage of manpower. I fear we cannot meet the demands of conscription. If we call up the able-bodied early, it will inevitably disrupt production and stir unrest among the people..."

"By the time the grain taxes are in the granaries, winter will have arrived—how are we supposed to fight then?" Hearing the two of them playing off each other, Shi Hongzhao immediately shot back a rebuttal.

"As long as war hasn't broken out, the longer we drag things out, the more fully prepared the court becomes, the stronger the nation's power grows. As they diminish and we grow, the court's chances of victory increase." Yang Bin countered at even greater speed. Though they shared a certain "tacit understanding" regarding Liu Chengyou, in matters of military and state affairs, the conflict between Yang Bin and Shi Hongzhao had never diminished—disagreements were a common occurrence.

When it came to quick tongues and reasoned argument, Shi Hongzhao was naturally no match for Yang Bin. The old flesh on his face twitched, and he was about to resort to bluster and bullying when Su Fengji stepped forward. Glancing at Yang Bin, he declared in a clear voice: "Chancellor Yang's words are mistaken. Du Chongwei hoards troops and treats himself as important, defying Your Majesty's will, opposing the court's edicts—his rebellious traces are already exposed. Against such a treacherous rebel, in my view, we should strip him of his offices and titles, dispatch troops swiftly, and destroy him, to display the court's authority."

"Otherwise, how will the other military governors across the realm view this matter? In the previous transfers, many of them were watching and waiting. If they follow suit, then the Great Han's realm—before it even enjoys peace—will descend into chaos again. The court's imperial army is strong and numerous, but how can it attend to all four directions at once? Now that we can focus on one front, we should swiftly crush the vicious and stubborn, eliminating a greater calamity before it comes to pass."

Su Fengji—this man was greedy, power-hungry, and fond of killing. His character was lacking, but he did have some insight, and could always manage to articulate a point or two.

"Utter nonsense! In the nation's troubles, one must distinguish the primary from the secondary. Now the Khitan are moving troops in Youyan, the Western Shu is eyeing us from the west, and to the south, Jingnan and the Southern Tang are both restless. At a time like this, stabilizing the nation is the top priority. Weibo holds strong troops—if the court rashly opens hostilities and cannot achieve a swift victory, this excellent situation of our dynasty will be lost in a single morning!" Yang Bin immediately shot back.

He gave Su Fengji a cold stare. In Yang Bin's view, this man was a habitual sycophant, one who advanced through flattery, constantly spouting reckless words and throwing the court's order into chaos.

Feeling Yang Bin's contempt, Su Fengji sneered: "Are you suggesting we indulge Du Chongwei, raising a tiger to bring disaster upon ourselves?"

"You're taking my words out of context!" Yang Bin said with slight anger. "Du Chongwei must be subdued, and the Weibo problem must be resolved—but we must not act in undue haste!"

"They are this rampant and brazen—if we do not act with determination, where does that leave Your Majesty's and the court's authority?" Su Fengji countered.

"Enough!" Seeing the two of them bickering in court again, a flicker of impatience passed through Liu Zhiyuan's eyes as he spoke coldly.

At this, the two fell silent and hastily bowed in apology: "Please forgive us, Your Majesty."

With Liu Zhiyuan's "suppression," the gunpowder between Yang and Su dissipated considerably—though the atmosphere was visibly more tense. Liu Zhiyuan swept his gaze around. Liu Chengxun was absent. Liu Chengyou stood there, having not yet offered any opinion, his gaze drifting, utterly at ease.

"Prince of Zhou, what are your thoughts?" After a moment of silence, Liu Zhiyuan asked.

His drifting gaze instantly sharpened back to clarity. Liu Chengyou naturally had thoughts on the matter, but he still mulled it over for a moment before clasping his hands and saying: "What the two chancellors have said are all plans for the nation, and both carry a certain logic. Weibo's population and tax revenues weigh heavily upon the realm—that need not be elaborated by me. Such a critical region must never be allowed to remain long in Du Chongwei's hands."

"Du Chongwei is now like a malignant tumor on the body of the Great Han, at a point where it must be excised. If we delay, the court may amass greater strength. But if this tumor bursts, festers, and spreads, the impact will reach far beyond just the one garrison of Weibo. Therefore, no matter how difficult, we must grit our teeth and remove it—restore Weibo to governance early, resume development, and give the people respite. Only then will the court have the spare strength to face external enemies."

"Otherwise, if we drag things out too long, not only will the domestic garrisons grow disaffected—as Chancellor Yang said, the Meng Shu, Jingnan, and the Southern Tang will also seize the chance to take a bite out of the Great Han. If we cannot suppress internal troubles, how can we deal with the pack of wolves at our doorstep?"

As Liu Chengyou's words landed, Yang Bin's expression stiffened, while a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Su Fengji's mouth. Liu Zhiyuan pondered Liu Chengyou's words, then asked: "So you're saying you lean toward the court taking military action?"

"Judging by the situation at Yedu, this clash of arms is probably unavoidable—Du Chongwei clearly won't surrender without a fight. The court's deployments around his perimeter have likely put tremendous pressure on him, which is why he's resorted to those feeble countermeasures." Liu Chengyou said. "However, if we wish to keep an eye on the other garrisons, the court need not make the first move. We only need to be prepared for war, and when he raises the banner of rebellion, send the army to annihilate him!"

"Heh." Shi Hongzhao suddenly let out a light chuckle. The sound was not loud, but in this hall, it was rather grating.

"What are you laughing at?" Shi Hongzhao's behavior was somewhat rude, and Liu Zhiyuan shot him a sideways glance, asking.

"Your subject was discourteous!" Shi Hongzhao actually knew he had breached propriety—but that barely suppressed expression on his face was even more irritating. Glancing at Liu Chengyou: "Your subject merely felt that, as His Highness the Prince of Zhou says, if Yedu maintains this state of affairs indefinitely, with Du Chongwei holding back and not striking—is the court to just let all those troops, provisions, and money sit idle and waste away? If we drag past this year, then what difference is there from what Chancellor Yang said?"

The gazes of all present fell upon Liu Chengyou. Liu Chengyou maintained that same indifferent demeanor, nodding: "What General Shi says does carry reason."

Without even looking at Shi Hongzhao, Liu Chengyou turned toward Guo Wei: "Commissioner Guo, that memorial from just now..."

The ministers' gazes shifted to Guo Wei. They watched as he drew two documents from his sleeve and reported to Liu Zhiyuan: "I report to Your Majesty—before this court session, the Bureau of Military Affairs received a memorial from Murong Yanzhao, Defense Commissioner of Mozhou, stating that his forces had intercepted a suspicious individual within his jurisdiction. Upon capture, a letter was found on his person. Interrogation revealed the man to be a messenger of Du Chongwei, and the letter contained Du Chongwei's words of submission to the Khitan, inviting the Khitan ruler, after breaking Youzhou, to march south into the Central Plains and join forces with him. The memorial and the letter are both here, for Your Majesty's perusal."

The two documents were presented before Liu Zhiyuan. After only a brief glance through them, Liu Zhiyuan slammed his hand heavily upon the imperial desk, saying in fury: "What a Du Chongwei—truly a thief who never changes his ways! I have shown him every possible leniency and consolation, and still his greed knows no bounds. With a viper's heart, he dares to scheme with the northern barbarians, to bring harm upon our Han realm! He doesn't even deserve a clean death!"

"Ministers, what do you all think?" Liu Zhiyuan swept his gaze around and asked once more.

This time, Yang Bin dared not offer any further rebuttal. Su Fengji, meanwhile, was positively beaming: "Your Majesty, Du Chongwei's rebellious heart is fully exposed, and his arrogance has reached this point—he absolutely cannot be tolerated!"

"Du Chongwei neither appreciates the court's grace nor its virtue, and wishes to attempt the mantis stinging the chariot—courting his own destruction. I shall grant him that!" Taking a deep breath, Liu Zhiyuan ordered coldly: "Send someone to deliver this letter to Yedu, and proclaim its contents to the realm!"

"Yes!"

It could be said with near certainty that once this letter was placed upon his desk, Du Chongwei would absolutely not be able to sit still—he would surely rebel.

"Your Majesty, in that case, the court must thoroughly prepare for the punitive expedition!" Seeing the matter settled, Yang Bin swiftly shifted his thinking and actively offered counsel.

Liu Zhiyuan nodded, pondered for a few moments, and said: "Accelerate the deployment of troops and provisions. Ministers, let us discuss—the choice of commander!"

At these words, the hall fell into another silence, with everyone exchanging glances. On Du Chongwei's side, he commanded nearly fifty thousand troops—even setting aside those conscripted commoners padding the numbers, he had over twenty thousand battle-ready soldiers. If the court wished to pacify him, the forces it would need to mobilize were by no means small. Commanding a large army in the field touched upon the sensitive matter of military authority, and all had to be cautious.

After only a brief silence, Shi Hongzhao volunteered: "Your Majesty, your subject is willing to go!"

Liu Zhiyuan's gaze paused on Shi Hongzhao for a moment. He considered it only briefly, then shook his head: "The Imperial Guard Command and the Eastern Capital's imperial army still require Minister Shi's diligent efforts—you cannot be spared."

Being refused brought only slight disappointment, and Shi Hongzhao didn't take it too much to heart. At present, he held command of the Imperial Guard Command, the top position in the Eastern Capital's imperial army—powerful, proud, and overbearing. If he went on campaign, victory or defeat was uncertain, and worse, he might lose his position as commander of the imperial army. Weighing the pros and cons carefully, it was better to stay in the capital. The Shi Hongzhao of today was no longer the pure battlefield general under Liu Zhiyuan's command in Hedong—the bureaucratic airs had already blown in.

As for Liu Chengyou, he did have the desire to serve as commander. But it was almost certain that if he proposed it, he would meet with opposition.

After a moment's thought, Liu Chengyou took the initiative to report: "Your son believes that rather than dispatching generals on campaign, it would be better for Your Majesty to personally lead the expedition, commanding the great army with the force of thunder, to sweep away the treacherous and wicked!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhiyuan's brows visibly furrowed.

PS: Regarding updates — splitting into two chapters feels too short, but combining them into one feels too slow. It's truly difficult.