Chapter 1681: The Crown Prince Inquires into Military Affairs

Inside the Bureau of Military Affairs, in the war room, a massive map hung suspended in the air, swaying slightly under the gentle breeze, its surface rippling in waves.

Compared to ordinary administrative maps, this military map in the Bureau of Military Affairs was far more detailed and complex—mountains, rivers, passes, and strategic terrain all vividly rendered upon it.

It had been created by pooling the wisdom of the Great Han's military strategists, historians, and cartographers, refined over more than a decade of painstaking effort through constant revision and improvement. The process of making this map was itself another great collection, reorganization, and synthesis of the Great Han's geographical records.

Moreover, with the gradual rise of maritime trade and the continuous exploration of the outer seas, the fog of the Great Han's understanding of the outside world had steadily lifted. The chaotic realms beyond the Nine Provinces were beginning to come into focus, appearing on the map as those patches of foreign kingdoms, clusters of islands, military bases, and Han settlements.

Crown Prince Liu Yang stood calmly beneath the great map, head slightly tilted upward, gaze deep and steady, though his expression carried a somewhat grim and aggrieved look. Commissioner of Military Affairs Liu Tinghan, Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs Lin Renzhao, and several Academicians of the Bureau stood silently in attendance, patiently awaiting the Crown Prince's inquiries.

After a long moment, Liu Yang withdrew his gaze, glanced at Liu Tinghan and the others, and pointed vaguely toward the Malay Peninsula, saying: "Srivijaya has already sent envoys to seek peace—the South Seas campaign can be wrapped up now, can it not? For the sake of a single Pulau Zhong Island, we've already resorted to arms. Does Guo Liangping truly intend to destroy Srivijaya before he'll call it quits?"

As a surrendered general, even though he now held an honored position as the nominal commander of the navy, his confidence was always somewhat lacking. Especially upon hearing the hint of displeasure in the Crown Prince's words, Lin Renzhao couldn't help but show a trace of embarrassment.

He carefully reported: "Your Highness, Srivijaya counts as a major power in the South Seas, but within its borders barbarian tribes stand in profusion, contradictions abound, and its rule is unstable. Moreover, its soldiers are weak and its weapons outdated. Based on the battle situation thus far, if we wish to attack and destroy them, it would not be difficult!"

"It seems that Commissioner Lin shares Guo Liangping's desire to claim the merit of destroying a state?" Liu Yang smiled.

"To protect the homeland, defend the country, and expand the frontiers—that is the wish of any general!" Lin Renzhao replied steadily.

Hearing this, Liu Yang sighed: "That depends on the situation and the circumstances! At present, the Great Han's foremost priorities are, first, the Western Regions, and second, Yulin. The disputes in the South Seas must be settled as quickly as possible—restore stability and keep trade flowing! Guo Liangping has made too much noise in the South Seas. Even the kingdom of Chenla has complained to the court. We can no longer let him run unchecked!"

Seeing the Crown Prince express his attitude toward the South Seas campaign so clearly and even sternly, Lin Renzhao couldn't help but look at Liu Tinghan, his meaning obvious—you're the one in charge of the Bureau of Military Affairs; you should say something.

Perhaps unable to bear Lin Renzhao's pitiful pleading gaze, Liu Tinghan gave a light cough, then said: "What Your Highness says is quite right. At present, the fighting in the Western Regions is intense, the bloody battles have only just ceased, and the suppression of the rebellion in Yulin has not yet been fully accomplished. Since Srivijaya has already softened its stance, there's no need to press them too hard. The Bureau of Military Affairs will soon dispatch an envoy with another strict order for Guo Liangping to restrain himself!"

"A general in the field may refuse orders from the court—let alone when separated by thousands of li across the vast ocean!" Liu Yang said flatly.

Hearing these words, Lin Renzhao's expression shifted slightly. The admonishment in the Crown Prince's words was all too obvious—clearly, he was dissatisfied with the navy under Guo Liangping's leadership acting on its own in the South Seas.

Of course, with the great development and leapfrog progress of these years, the self-contained navy had indeed grown somewhat overbearing and unbridled, especially overseas.

A chill ran through Lin Renzhao's heart, and he immediately declared: "Rest assured, Your Highness. Your servant is willing to personally go to the South Seas—Guo Liangping would not dare disobey orders!"

"Heh heh!" Hearing Lin Renzhao's assurance, Liu Yang turned his head to gaze at him, his tone playful: "Must it take the dignified Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs to personally go before the navy can be commanded?"

Even though Lin Renzhao was experienced and battle-tested, hearing Liu Yang say this, he couldn't help but show a startled expression and hastily explained: "Your servant has no such intention at all. It's just that the distance is vast, transportation is inconvenient, and military orders and intelligence cannot be transmitted in a timely manner. The Bureau of Military Affairs cannot promptly grasp the changing situation on the South Seas battlefield, and therefore the commanding generals need to be given a certain degree of latitude for independent decision-making."

"I understand!" Liu Yang waved his hand and smiled at Lin Renzhao: "Commissioner Lin need not worry—I have no other meaning. It's just that recently, urgent military reports have arrived one after another, and the court and the public are greatly concerned! Matters have their priorities and urgencies. As for the South Seas, if it can be set aside, then set it aside for now. Haven't the navy's objectives already been achieved? Don't you think so?"

"Yes! Your servant understands!" Lin Renzhao hurriedly replied, but in his heart, following the Crown Prince's words, a shadow could not help but fall.

If the Crown Prince had developed other views toward the navy, that would absolutely not be a good thing. It seemed some rectification was needed. Lin Renzhao thought this to himself, but soon a sense of melancholy arose. Compared to the army, the navy had fewer factional factions, but its control was stronger and its influence greater. Without Emperor Liu's nod, it would hardly be easy to trim—even the current Crown Prince's word wouldn't carry that weight.

Although Emperor Liu had already begun letting Liu Yang involve himself in military affairs, his say in matters was still insufficient; he could only exert influence within the boundaries Emperor Liu had delineated.

Liu Yang naturally had no idea how complicated Lin Renzhao's thoughts were. His attention quickly shifted away from the South Seas campaign, and he looked at Liu Tinghan, asking: "Regarding the situation in the Western Regions and the Yulin Circuit, what does the Bureau of Military Affairs think?"

This was clearly the question Liu Yang cared most about in his visit to the Bureau of Military Affairs. Liu Tinghan replied composedly: "Your Highness, according to the latest reports from the Yulin Circuit, the large-scale offensive undertaken by Duke Yan has achieved considerable results. They located the lair of the rebel Li Jiqian at Dijin Marsh and destroyed it, killing and capturing more than three thousand of the bandits—a great victory by all accounts."

"What about Li Jiqian?" Liu Yang immediately seized on the key point: "No matter how many bandits you destroy, if you don't capture the ringleader, the task cannot be called accomplished. What His Majesty cares about even more is the head of the bandit Li Jiqian!"

At this mention, Liu Tinghan also found it somewhat vexing, and said: "When the troops made their lightning strike on Dijin Marsh, that scoundrel Li Jiqian was leading his men westward to launch a sneak attack on Shunhua Fort, and so he managed to escape the disaster."

Liu Yang followed the introduction to find Shunhua Fort on the map. The fort had been built long ago, on the eastern bank of the Yellow River, under the jurisdiction of Lingzhou—an important stronghold under the Yulin Circuit controlling the strategic crossing of the Yellow River.

"Li Jiqian has already been allowed to encroach upon Lingzhou?" Liu Yang's face turned stern, his tone serious: "Wang Shen beat the war drums, mobilized troops, and deployed forces—and this is the result of his suppression campaign?"

To this, Liu Tinghan fell silent. After pondering for a moment, he addressed the matter directly: "Your Highness, Li Jiqian's attack on Shunhua Fort failed, and he has lost his lair. Although the bandit chieftain was not captured, the blow to him has been enormous. Having lost his base, Li Jiqian will become a wandering bandit, no different from a horse thief. As long as we intensify the hunt and encirclement, he will surely be captured sooner or later!"

Liu Yang neither agreed nor disagreed with Liu Tinghan's assessment. He stared at the map in thought for a while, then sighed softly: "Since Li Jiqian raised his rebellion last year, more than half a year has passed, and the unrest continues unabated. Clearly, if this man is not eliminated, the calamity he brings will surely be grave!"

"The Yulin Circuit has already strengthened its martial law, and Duke Yan is also planning a further encirclement campaign against the remaining bandits!" Liu Tinghan could only offer these plans to reassure Liu Yang.

Liu Yang shook his head, then asked: "What about the Western Regions? I hear that Prince Wei has requested reinforcements from the court. What is your opinion?"

Compared to Yulin, Liu Tinghan was clearly more concerned about this matter, and more cautious as well. After hesitating for a moment, he said solemnly: "Your Highness, in the battle of Kucha, although the Western Expedition Army broke the enemy and took the city, the casualties were severe—that is the reason Prince Wei requests reinforcements. However, your servants believe that at present, to supply the Western Expedition Army, the people and finances of Hexi have already been stretched to their limits. If we draw upon them further, I fear it would shake the stability of the northwest. Therefore, we should first observe how the battle situation develops—it would be inadvisable to rashly commit more troops!"

Hearing Liu Tinghan say this, Liu Yang's brows furrowed slightly, and he asked with concern: "Is the Western Expedition Army sufficient to hold on?"

Liu Tinghan said: "Your Highness, Prince Wei's request for reinforcements is in preparation for finally destroying the Kara-Khanids. In the battle of Kucha, the Kara-Khanids also suffered heavy losses; their remaining forces are no longer a match for us. The enemies south of the Tianshan Mountains only await being swept clean. Even if the enemy should cross the mountains to attack, even if our forces lack the strength to advance, the Western Expedition Army's strength would still be sufficient to repel them."

Pausing for a moment, Liu Tinghan added: "This is the assessment of Imperial Son-in-law Yang Yanzhao!"