Chapter 1515: Economic Sanctions

Speaking of it, Xiao Siwen's eye for choosing sons-in-law could only be described as peculiar. His eldest daughter Xiao Hunian married Yelu Yansage, who was executed for plotting rebellion; his second daughter Xiao Yilan married Yelu Xiyin, who likewise rose in revolt, and the grass over his grave has long since grown tall.

There remained his youngest daughter Yanyan, not yet betrothed to anyone, though it was unknown which family she would eventually marry into. If anyone were to take notice of such a mystically charged pattern, they would likely have an extra layer of apprehension.

Of course, Emperor Liu's focus at the moment remained on the intelligence Xiao Siwen had brought. Turmoil within the Khitan was indeed good news for the Great Han, yet what could be done with it? After turning it over in his mind again and again, it seemed there was little room for any major move.

Over these three years, the Great Han's deterrence and pressure against the Khitan had continued, but the results were diminishing day by day. Ever since the Great Han had begun its strategic contraction, it had ceased hostilities abroad, pacifying the east and making peace with the west. Though vigilance against the Khitan remained the top priority, it was difficult to maintain the high-pressure posture of that first year after the northern expedition.

Moreover, with the Khitan having voluntarily moved north, the means available for striking at them had grown even scarcer. Previously, by stirring up rebellions among the northern Mobei tribes, they had caused the Khitan no small trouble, inflicting real damage, and even once toppling their rule over Mobei.

But as the years passed, this too had gradually faded. The Great Han was adjusting, and the Khitan were also changing. Under Yelu Xian's combination of absorption and countermeasures, he had gradually stabilized Mobei.

Those rebellious tribes had either been destroyed, returned to the Khitan's embrace, or migrated south in their entirety to defect to the Great Han. At present, in Mobei, it was roughly only the Naiman people in the west who still maintained de facto independence.

However, the Naiman of today could be counted as a force, but they were far from powerful. They had not even formed a political organization, still existing in a precarious tribal confederation. They had merely taken advantage of the gap left after the Han-Liao clashes, picked up some scraps, eaten some leftover crumbs, and barely expanded their living space eastward.

This even benefited from some support and assistance from the Great Han court. That bond of goodwill formed when the expeditionary army withdrew westward back then had ultimately been put to use.

As for the Great Han, in these past few years it had not refrained from launching military strikes of its own, but they had not been on any scale. The taking of Linhuang Prefecture had merely been a matter of marching in to accept the surrender and establishing garrison posts.

As for Han cavalry riding north into the barren wilderness, the cost was too great and the gains too small—like scratching an itch through one's boot. It was hard to pose a fatal threat to the Khitan, and in the end they managed to weather it. On one occasion, a force of a thousand riders, while foraging northward, lost their way and nearly perished to the last man from running out of food and water. In the end, they failed to forage at all and instead lost no small number of officers and men.

As things stood in the north, the Khitan held Mobei while the Great Han possessed Monan—the division of the situation was plain to see. The Khitan were transitioning from chaos to order and dared not invade southward; the Great Han had the strength to go north but, constrained by adjustments in national strategy, had no inclination to do so. Thus, compared to other regions, the two bitterest foes actually found themselves in a state of relative tranquility.

If one wished to deliver a thorough and effective blow against the Khitan, the most direct method would still be for Han cavalry to ride north on a long expedition into Mobei, all the way to the Khitan's palace tents and royal court.

However, such a massive mobilization of troops ran contrary to current national policy, and by now, Emperor Liu's desire for it was no longer as strong as it had once been.

The main reason was that the second northern expedition had cost too much, draining the nation's strength to such a degree that even Emperor Liu was taken aback. A sudden sense of tension rose in him, and he had no choice but to calm down.

Though Emperor Liu had a side that craved grand achievements, he was ultimately not a martial emperor who reveled in endless warfare and could not stop expanding the frontiers, sinking into it beyond recovery. When he sensed his rule was threatened, he was still able to halt in time and change course.

Still, with trouble brewing inside the Khitan, if the Great Han did nothing in response, Emperor Liu's heart could never be fully satisfied—that restless mind of his was always stirring.

"Chancellor Zhao, in your view, what measures can the Great Han take against the Khitan?" After pondering for a while, Emperor Liu, feeling somewhat vexed, sought Zhao Pu's counsel.

Zhao Pu, as if he had long been prepared, replied unhurriedly: "To answer Your Majesty, in my view, if the Khitan truly fall into internal strife and an opportunity presents itself, we could naturally dispatch a senior general to lead a detached force north to strike. Even if we cannot exterminate their entire nation, we could further contain them and interrupt their process of recuperation.

However, if, as the intelligence reports indicate, the Khitan ruler has already executed all the rebels and brought the internal disturbances under control, then unless we mobilize our forces on a grand scale, I fear little can be achieved. If we send a distant expedition, I only worry the results will be half the effort for twice the toil. The Khitan are far away in Mobei—in the end, the whip cannot reach where the horse cannot go..."

Zhao Pu's opinion carried a subtle note of dissuasion. Emperor Liu smiled upon hearing it and said to him: "It seems Chancellor Zhao still worries that I might revive the northern expedition and mobilize our forces on a grand scale, inevitably exhausting the people and draining the treasury!"

Zhao Pu also smiled and replied: "Your Majesty overstates it. I am merely speaking to the matter at hand, with no other intention!"

Emperor Liu waved his hand and said: "Whether you have other intentions or not is unimportant. Rest assured, I will not lightly alter the established national policy!"

Hearing Emperor Liu say this, Zhao Pu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and even felt somewhat surprised. Given Emperor Liu's previous wariness toward the Khitan and his relentless targeting of them, whatever decision he made upon glimpsing an opportunity would not have astonished him. Rather, it was this calm reaction that seemed rather unexpected.

"But we cannot do nothing either!" Emperor Liu thought for a moment and added: "Among the northern tribes, how many can still be made use of?"

Seeing that Emperor Liu was again thinking of using the tactic of killing with a borrowed knife, Zhao Pu calmly shook his head to dispel his illusions: "Those who can traverse Mobei are roughly only the Naiman in the west, the Shiwei in the east, and the Khakas in the north. But the Naiman are scattered and undisciplined, the Shiwei have their sights set on the east, and there is little contact with the Khakas. Moreover, all three lack sufficient strength—I fear they cannot be employed for our purposes.

As for the Mogeshi, Dada, and other tribes that have submitted to the south, even with the court's support, they likely would not dare go north again to fight the Khitan alone. They originally could not endure the chaos in Mobei and, under the Khitan's blows, had no choice but to come south and submit. They truly cannot bear such a great responsibility!"

"So you're saying the Great Han truly has no way to deal with the Khitan at present?" Emperor Liu's furrowed brow showed his displeasure.

Zhao Pu fell silent for a moment, privately weighing how to give Emperor Liu an answer that would smooth over his frustration. Emperor Liu then said directly: "We cannot let the Khitan grow too comfortable. Fleeing north to Mobei must not let the Khitan ruler sleep easy! If we allow them to recuperate and build their strength in Mobei, in a dozen or two dozen years, I fear the northern threat will rise again. By then, even if I don't go strike them, they will come south to harass our borders!"

Sensing Emperor Liu's attitude, Zhao Pu also offered his counsel at the opportune moment: "Your Majesty, in my view, arms should not be recklessly raised, but we can strengthen the blockade against the Khitan and completely sever all contact between Monan and Mobei.

As far as I know, over the past two years, there has actually been considerable clandestine trade between the common folk and Mobei. Among these are both Great Han merchants and those tribes that have submitted to the south. The trading posts and markets the court has opened in Monan have likely also facilitated the Khitan!"

"Even you, the chancellor, know of this—why has no response been made? Why have the border officials not done their duty?" Emperor Liu immediately demanded.

Zhao Pu said: "The local authorities have their own difficulties. Monan is vast, and it is truly hard to keep watch at all times and set up checkpoints everywhere. Moreover, the region south of Shanyang is also recuperating in accordance with the court's decrees, and north-south trade is the foundation of its recovery. The officials also worry that overly harsh measures would affect local stability..."

"Nonsense!" Emperor Liu immediately rebuked, causing Zhao Pu some embarrassment.

"The target is the Khitan, not the merchants and people of the Monan tribes as a whole!" After a moment's consideration, Emperor Liu instructed with a firm attitude: "The central government will issue decrees for the border prefectures and armies to strengthen control over merchant trade, prohibit all commerce with the Khitan, and ensure that not a single piece of iron, a single measure of grain, a single leaf of tea, a single pinch of salt, or a single bolt of cloth flows into Mobei. Should anyone again secretly communicate with Mobei, they shall be treated as traitors to the state and punished without mercy!"

"Yes!" Since Emperor Liu had made the decision, Zhao Pu naturally assented with pleasure.

Controlling trade channels, strengthening market supervision, and imposing economic sanctions—all of these were easier than mobilizing troops and carried less risk. This act of compliance could be done.

In the end, some sanction measures were agreed upon. Emperor Liu's thoughts were now unblocked, his mood improved, and a smile once again bloomed on his face.

"Chancellor Xiao, you have worked hard!" His gaze fell once more upon Xiao Siwen, who sat respectfully at the side, and Emperor Liu spoke.

Xiao Siwen hurriedly rose and clasped his hands in salute: "Having received Your Majesty's magnanimous acceptance of this drifting, forsaken man, I am truly grateful in my heart and will naturally serve with utmost devotion!"

Seeing him pledge his loyalty once again, Emperor Liu studied him anew, as if pondering what schemes lay hidden beneath that obedient countenance.

"The Khitan are, after all, your mother's people. Does Chancellor Xiao feel no nostalgia or reluctance?" Emperor Liu asked lightly.

Hearing this question, Xiao Siwen nearly shuddered. Meeting Emperor Liu's gaze, he hesitated for a moment, then sighed: "Your Majesty, men are not made of wood or stone—who can be without feeling? But I understand clearly in my heart that only by submitting to the court and serving Your Majesty is the sole path of survival for the Khitan people. If they stubbornly resist and oppose the court, then one day the mountains will crumble and the seas will overturn, and even with the vastness of the great desert, there will be no place for them to shelter."

Though he knew full well that Xiao Siwen was speaking flattering words, Emperor Liu could not help but be pleased. Smiling, he said: "It seems that among the Khitan, Chancellor Xiao is the one who best understands reason! I have no intention of exterminating the Khitan people to the last. Those willing to sincerely defect to the Great Han and submit to the court's rule—I still welcome them to come!"