Chapter 1440: The Number One General of the Great Han

The thick autumn atmosphere had dyed the trees and vegetation of the palace gardens a golden yellow. Under the somewhat dim autumn sun, the surroundings were filled with patches of brilliant color, and standing amidst it all, one could not help but be drawn into the pleasing scenery.

Riding at full gallop through the rustling autumn wind, drawing his bow to hunt—for Emperor Liu, this had become a rare pleasure of the autumn days. Of course, it was also because the belly fat and grease at his waist, growing at an irreversible rate, forced him to increase his exercise.

Even though Emperor Liu consciously tried to avoid it on ordinary days, after prolonged years of comfortable living, his bodily functions had been steadily degenerating. This feeling of decay was something Emperor Liu had felt deeply in recent years—both helpless and frustrating.

Sure enough, after riding for less than half an hour in the Western Park, he already felt breathless and short of energy. In this regard, Emperor Liu never pushed himself, nor would he force himself. He soon chose to dismount and walk, to relieve his body's fatigue.

When galloping and shooting arrows, the intense exercise and flowing sweat could still let Emperor Liu feel a trace of vitality, even allowing him to recall the hectic military life of his early days, when he was full of vigor and high spirits.

But as his body gradually cooled down, that feeling of carrying a heavy burden, of the strength not matching the will, surged up all at once. The most direct feedback from his body told him that he truly was no longer what he once was.

"I truly am getting old!" Gazing at the yellowed grass swaying in the autumn wind before him, Emperor Liu's tone seemed filled with infinite emotion: "Back then, I donned armor and took up arms, marching a hundred li, all with ease. Now I can't anymore—a slight jostle on horseback and I already feel spent!"

"Why would Your Majesty say such a thing?" Yang Ye, attending at his side, upon hearing this, immediately put on a surprised expression, his astonished tone laced with flattery: "Your Majesty is in the prime of life, moving with the stride of a dragon and the step of a tiger. The heroic bearing you just displayed on horseback is undiminished from your former glory. I only feel my heart racing with admiration, and I feel I could still follow Your Majesty into battle for another twenty years!"

"Haha!" Yang Ye's expression was honest and straightforward, but hearing his words, Emperor Liu could not help but be amused. Pointing at him, he said: "You rascal, Yang Chonggui! I wonder who taught you these pleasing words?"

The Emperor's tone was cheerful, and Yang Ye's heart could not help but relax. He said: "I merely spoke what was in my heart, moved by genuine feeling!"

"You!" The slightly upturned corners of Emperor Liu's mouth showed his good mood.

Yang Ye's flattery was not particularly skillful. Compared to those ministers who were steeped in poetry and books, whose tongues blossomed like flowers, his words seemed somewhat plain and lacking in substance—they could not even scratch Emperor Liu's itch as well as the eunuch Yan Tuo could.

Yang Ye's nature was upright and full of righteousness. When facing colleagues and subordinates, he often wore a face that was bold yet dignified. Only in front of Emperor Liu would he pick up the pleasing behavior he was not skilled at, nor particularly willing to perform.

There was no helping it—people always grow. Over twenty years, it was not only that Yang Ye had transformed into a general of outstanding merit and fearsome renown; at his current position, he was no longer merely a military commander, but also a political star.

Those who play politics, even if they can hold fast to some of their principles and bottom lines, inevitably become influenced by their environment, adapting and changing. And before Emperor Liu, reining in his sharp edges and displaying some cleverness and tact—for Yang Ye, that did not seem so difficult.

Of course, Yang Ye was also full of confidence in Emperor Liu, and did not feel that Emperor Liu would form any negative impression of him because of these pleasing words, nor become lost in them. This was merely a habit developed over more than twenty years, a consensus that ministers displayed when facing their emperor.

Throughout Emperor Liu's imperial journey, too many outstanding talents and heroes of the age had emerged, and there were also a considerable number of people whom Emperor Liu regarded as trusted confidants, relying on them as bulwarks.

But these people, as they achieved success and fame, as the rabbits died and the hounds were cooked, either fell ill or passed away, or retired to the second line, or returned home to enjoy their leisure. Of course, there were also those who were impeached and demoted.

Times change, worldly affairs rise and fall, and so do people's fortunes. But among the tide-riders of that era, Yang Ye seemed to be a special case. To this day, he remained the general the Emperor trusted and valued most, enjoying high rank, holding key positions, wielding great power, and even becoming the central figure of the Great Han's military authority.

After returning to the capital, when merits were assessed and rewards distributed, his title had not changed—still Commandery Duke—but his position had risen to the peak of Yang Ye's military and political career: Chief Commander of the Palace Army.

The passage of years did not seem to have affected Yang Ye at all. Emperor Liu's trust in him seemed as if it could never spoil, like a jar of aged wine that only grows more fragrant with time. He was always regarded as a trusted right hand, entrusted with heavy responsibilities.

Such favor and treatment brought Yang Ye supreme glory, but also accompanied by pressure. This pressure came not only from the already heavy burden of the Emperor's trust, but also from the various gazes and discussions from all around.

Others' feelings toward Yang Ye ranged from admiration and envy to jealousy and astonishment. Many people could not figure out what was so special about this Yang Ye.

In terms of talent and achievements, in terms of character and integrity, he was not unique. When it came to loyalty and diligence, no one felt that they were not loyal enough to the Emperor, or not dutiful enough to the court.

After all the speculation, perhaps one could only sigh at the vagaries of life. In the end, the imperial heart was still unfathomable. The Emperor's likes and preferences could indeed determine the ceiling of a general-minister's career, the rise and fall of a family. This was the most real aspect of the era ruled by Emperor Liu.

Some situations did indeed seem peculiar. In the past, those generals who had rendered great meritorious service, upon returning to court, while enjoying generous rewards and treatment, would more or less be "cooled down" for a period before being appointed according to circumstances.

And over so many years, the several transformations of the military system, accompanied by the positional adjustments of meritorious veterans and senior generals, all reflected Emperor Liu's unspoken schemes.

No one was a fool, and fools could hardly become senior generals of the Great Han. But what made Yang Ye special was that Emperor Liu never seemed to worry that he would become arrogant from favor. The phrase "merits overshadowing the sovereign" seemed not to apply to Yang Ye, even though his power, prestige, and position were already high enough.

Look at the generals of the past—from the distant ones like Shi Hongzhao and Guo Wei, the Duke of Wei and Duke of Ying whose names shook the world, to the more recent Duke of Rong and Duke of An who completed the Kaibao northern expedition. The changes in their positions were enough to prove certain things.

The Great Han's military system was well-established and strictly hierarchical. If one spoke only of military positions, without question, standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid were the commanders of the Three Yamen imperial army. And among the Three Yamen, the status of the Palace Commander had, through subtle influence, risen half a rank above the other two—truly the head of the Three Yamen.

This was caused by multiple factors. In terms of authority, there might be no clear distinction of rank, but the Palace Command encompassed the primary army with which Emperor Liu had risen to power. The Longqi Army remained to this day the main force under the Palace Command, and its primary garrison responsibility lay in the two capitals.

Unlike the Imperial Guard Command, which needed to handle the outer defense of the capital region and bear some border garrison and local pacification duties, the Patrol Inspector Command was even more laborious by comparison. Over time, even within the military itself, people subconsciously felt that the Palace Command's standing was half a rank higher.

Emperor Liu's balancing tactics were executed smoothly and flexibly. In his eyes, the Three Yamen represented the division of imperial army command into three parts, mutually checking each other—and indeed, that was the effect they had.

However, the human heart was the hardest to fathom. People in different environments, in different atmospheres, would feel disparities even when facing the same things. And the differences in status and honor among the imperial army gradually became apparent with the passage of time.

Of course, this did not mean any problem had arisen. High and low, noble and base—these were also internal factors that allowed a system's structure to maintain stability. Emperor Liu did not, on this account, apply any additional measures to forcibly emphasize that the Three Yamen imperial army were equal in status and treatment.

Regardless, after Yang Ye became the Palace Commander, it could be said that he had become the current number one general of the Great Han. Not only because of the position itself—when comparing the generals of the Great Han across the board, no one could surpass Yang Ye anymore. Whether in age, achievements, seniority, or prestige, taken all together, he was number one.

However, Emperor Liu's trust was naturally not without reservation—that would be impossible. He even doubted himself occasionally, let alone others.

Sometimes, he could not help but harbor suspicions. A single Li Chongju had already made him deeply experience the complexity of the human heart.

The legendary reputation of General Yang in history was mixed with too much romantic embellishment, and carried people's feelings of admiration, lament, pity, or indignation. And Yang Ye had not reached such heights in the Great Han's current dynasty. His position was different, the power he held was different, and his fame and merits could not be compared on the same level. Whether this would create differences, even Emperor Liu himself could not grasp.

Of course, Emperor Liu was not so concerned about it. What he needed to grasp was always only himself. Before he felt uneasy in his heart, everything was still beautiful and bright—at least on the surface. What people saw might still be a fine tale of harmonious ruler and minister.

As for politics, Yang Ye was naturally not without sensitivity. In the Great Han, as a commander, one could not possibly be a political idiot. Therefore, when serving Emperor Liu, he always maintained a low profile and humble bearing. He understood the principle that accompanying the sovereign was like accompanying a tiger—just like at this moment, laughing and chatting with the sovereign, blowing in the autumn wind, yet it felt like a spring breeze on his face.