Chapter 1707: Monarch and Ministers Both Ruthless

"Since the Crown Prince has spoken thus, all of you ministers may speak freely—if you have any true insights, do not keep them bottled up!" Emperor Liu looked at Zhao Pu and said softly, "Minister Zhao, you are the Chief Chancellor. Please offer the Crown Prince some corrections!"

"I would not dare! I would not dare!" Zhao Pu rose and clasped his hands, his demeanor unusually deferential. After pondering briefly, he spoke slowly: "This old minister is not flattering you—the Crown Prince's proposal is timely and fitting. Before we came to audience, we had already discussed it, and we were unanimous in thinking that the most urgent matter in Yulin is by no means to seek quick results in order to immediately destroy the rebels.

We must exercise patience and forbearance, proceed from the overall situation, control Yulin, and prevent the chaos from spreading. The Crown Prince put it well—Yulin may be in turmoil, but the interior of the passes must not be, and the northwest must not be.

Therefore, replacing the commander, dispatching generals, and reinforcing troops is imperative. We absolutely cannot allow the rebels' influence to spread. The interior of the passes, Longyou, and Hexi must be placed under martial law immediately, all major thoroughfares sealed off and closed to traffic, strictly preventing the rebels from scattering and stirring up trouble.

Winter has now set in, which is not conducive to suppression operations. After this sudden upheaval, Yulin's military and civil administration will inevitably fall into confusion. During this winter, the prefectures and counties of Yulin should focus on holding firm without disorder and stabilizing the morale of officials, soldiers, and civilians—especially the local Han populace.

The source of this great chaos is clearly those unsubmissive Tangut. The strategy for suppression must also begin with the Tangut tribes. Policy toward them must be unequivocal—any who dare to follow the rebels shall be severely suppressed without exception.

The court can use the winter to mobilize troops, dispatch generals, and stockpile grain and weapons, preparing for a major offensive after spring arrives. Yulin is remote, bitter cold, and poor in resources; its grain, cloth, tea, and other supplies have always required external provision. Therefore, we must strictly control the transport of all supplies—not a single measure of grain or a single bolt of cloth may flow into rebel hands."

"Minister Zhao's meaning is to first starve the rebels?" After hearing Zhao Pu's memorial, Emperor Liu pondered for a moment, then said.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Zhao Pu bowed. "Over the past year, the suppression in Yulin has been ineffective. Duke of Yan, Wang Shen, may have handled matters improperly, but the root cause lies in errors of strategy, insufficient understanding of the problem, and the court's failure to attach adequate importance to it—thus a minor ailment grew into a great calamity.

Mending the fold after the sheep are lost is not too late. The root of Yulin's troubles lies first and foremost with the Tangut. If the Tangut are not pacified, the northwest cannot be at peace. The Tangut tribes in Yulin number in the hundreds of thousands. Even if not all of them intend to follow the rebels, they must all be suspected of complicity. The court must prepare for the worst and make the fullest preparations—even if all the Tangut of Yulin rebel, they must be resolutely and thoroughly eradicated.

The Tangut have become a festering threat to the northwest. For the sake of the realm's stability, even exterminating them to the last is a price worth paying!"

Clearly, Zhao Pu's words were largely meant to echo His Majesty's sentiments. Over this long period, something of Emperor Liu's attitude toward the Tangut problem had leaked out and sparked some discussion.

Now, with the sudden upheaval in Yanzhou and the grave situation in Yulin, Zhao Pu's declaration of such a stance at this time was naturally meant to cater to Emperor Liu's will.

And it did indeed satisfy Emperor Liu—his stern expression seemed to soften somewhat. Emperor Liu looked around the hall and said, "Minister Zhao has spoken. What do all of you think?"

With that, Minister of War Han Tong immediately rose and said with righteous indignation: "What Chancellor Zhao says is reasonable. The Tangut are not of our kind, they refuse to learn despite repeated admonishment, and since they will not submit, let us destroy them utterly. This old minister agrees!"

Han Tong, this minister who had followed the emperor from the very beginning, was now old—nearly seventy, with a large belly—but his voice was still full of vigor, and he looked as though he could continue to serve the court for some years yet. There had long been rumors in the court that when Fiscal Commissioner of the Southeast Han Hui ascended to the chancellorship, it would also be the time for the Duke of Henei to retire completely.

After Han Tong finished, Wang Zhu also spoke. Besides being utterly loyal to Emperor Liu, he carried a certain "angry youth" temperament, and his words naturally contained not a trace of weakness. He said coldly: "Since they refuse to accept the court's governance, then within the borders of the Great Han, there is no place for such rebellious thieves to stand. Uproot the grass and eliminate the roots—end the trouble forever!"

Soon, regarding the Yulin rebellion—or rather, regarding the Tangut of Yulin—the sovereign and ministers of the Great Han reached a consensus. These men were enough to represent the court's attitude, though of course, the core always lay in Emperor Liu's will.

"Your Majesty!" Zhao Kuangyi, after likewise delivering a fiery speech, made a show of hesitation, then rose and said.

Looking at him, Emperor Liu did not mince words and said directly: "Minister Zhao, what suggestions do you have?"

After weighing his words briefly, Zhao Kuangyi spoke with caution in his tone: "I report to Your Majesty: in the Yanzhou rebellion, the rebels number over ten thousand. Aside from the Tangut rebels, there are also some Han magnates of dubious intent who have joined the rebellion.

Yanzhou's memorial reports state that within a few days, the rebels exceeded ten thousand and could not be contained. The Yanzhou rebels rose later, yet their momentum far surpasses that of Xiazhou. Examining the reasons closely, there must be Han who have forgotten their ancestors and betrayed their benefactors stirring up trouble among them. Hu and Han colluding, rebelling both within and without—the harm left behind would be endless.

Therefore, this minister believes that in pacifying the northwest, the Tangut must be eliminated, and the disloyal local magnates, strongmen, and bandits must also be suppressed!"

"Minister Zhao speaks well!" After Zhao Kuangyi finished, Emperor Liu immediately slapped the imperial desk, his tone grim: "The Tangut rebellion is not worth getting angry over—what is hateful are those inner traitors! The harm of inner traitors has always far exceeded that of external threats. For those who have joined the rebels, their three clans must be exterminated! That Yuan Ke—an unknown nobody—how dare he raise the banner of rebellion! He must be dealt with by the harshest punishment—extermination of nine clans, death by a thousand cuts!"

Even though it was not directed at them, Emperor Liu's murderous demeanor still made the assembled ministers' hearts pound with fear.

Zhao Kuangyi also inexplicably felt his heart tremble. Suppressing that flicker of unease, he continued: "For the rebels, harsh laws and severe punishments are naturally the way to warn others.

However, since ancient times, rebels who gather crowds to cause chaos and plunder the countryside are accustomed to deceiving the people. The common folk are ignorant and can hardly avoid being taken advantage of, blindly following the rebels.

There are also those who are coerced into rebellion—the common people die if they follow the rebels, and die if they do not. Under duress, they have no choice but to join. Therefore, this minister believes that for those commoners who were coerced, the court should issue a proclamation: any who behead a rebel leader and surrender to the government forces may have their crimes pardoned. This will divide the rebel army and weaken its strength!"

As soon as this suggestion was made, Crown Prince Liu Yang immediately expressed his approval. He might not have much sympathy for the Tangut, but for innocent commoners, he was willing to show greater leniency.

Therefore, following Zhao Kuangyi, he admonished Emperor Liu: "In the Yulin Circuit, besides the hundreds of thousands of Tangut, there are also hundreds of thousands of Han civilians. The court must take measures to reassure and unite the good common people, letting them stand with the court against the rebels. As for those who have joined the rebels, distinctions must be made—the ringleaders must be executed without fail, while those among the rest who render meritorious service in turning back may be spared death.

Chancellor Zhao's suggestion, this minister humbly deems acceptable. Additionally, besides the Han and the Tangut, there are many miscellaneous Hu tribes. Toward these tribes, the court should also show some friendliness to win them over, lest they aid the tiger in its evil deeds. In exterminating the Tangut rebels, their numbers may also be conscripted!"

After Liu Yang finished speaking, he looked at Emperor Liu, awaiting his reaction. However, Emperor Liu sank into thought, and only after a while did he utter a single word: "Approved!"

"But!" Emperor Liu immediately added a turn: "The calamity in Yulin is ostensibly the Tangut, but in truth it is those Hu barbarians who refuse to accept imperial civilization. Using the miscellaneous Hu to suppress the Tangut is acceptable—however, in eliminating one calamity, we must strictly guard against the rise of a new one.

How did the Tuoba Tangut rise in the first place? How was the Dingnan Army established? This point demands vigilance. Therefore, the court's attitude and policy toward the Hu of Yulin must be further clarified: those who are not friends are enemies, those who are not loyal are rebels. Let them weigh their own choices—whether to submit to the court and be its friend, or to join the rebels and be its enemy!"

After Emperor Liu finished, Liu Yang, Zhao Pu, and the others exchanged glances, then spoke in unison: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Although such thinking was consistent with Emperor Liu's usual forceful style, at this critical juncture, adopting such drastic measures could not be said to be without risk of mishap.

But neither could it be said that Emperor Liu's considerations were wrong—he had to be praised for his foresight, for going straight to the heart of the matter, with all his deliberations aimed at Yulin's long-term peace and stability.

Moreover, even more drastic measures were already being prepared, so there was no fear of being unable to manage the aftermath. Thus, the strategy for suppressing the rebels in Yulin was set: the Tangut rebels were to be resolutely exterminated, the Han rebels were to be dealt with through division and differentiation, and the remaining miscellaneous Hu were to be used as blades.

Of course, this involved a fundamental issue—how to define and classify the loyal and the treacherous, the good and the evil, the loyal ministers and the rebel bandits. This was no easy task, and in the process of implementation, it obviously could not be done to perfection.

The nuances could not be settled by this group of sovereign and ministers in Chongzheng Hall discoursing loftily from two thousand li away—a capable minister or able general would have to be dispatched to take charge.

And as for the choice of person, Liu Yang had already proposed it—or rather, Emperor Liu had long been prepared. Otherwise, why would he have transferred Prince of Zhao Liu Fang to Chang'an so early to take up command?

Therefore, Emperor Liu made the final decision directly: "It is settled. Send an edict to Prince of Zhao Liu Fang, ordering him to lead the garrison troops of the interior of the passes northward, replace Wang Shen, establish a field headquarters for suppression, and take full charge of pacifying Yulin! Also, have Tian Zhongjin lead ten thousand imperial army troops to the northwest to participate in the suppression. The Bureau of Military Affairs shall draw up the plans for troop movements and appointments, and the Ministry of War shall fully cooperate!"

"Yes!" The assembled ministers rose and accepted the edict in unison.

After speaking, Emperor Liu said to Liu Yang: "Convey a message from me to Liu Fang—did he not want to personally suppress the rebels? I have now given him this opportunity. It remains to be seen how he performs. He must not tarnish the prestige of his title as Prince of Zhao and become a laughingstock before the world.

Also, the strategy formulated by the court must be communicated thoroughly, and Liu Fang must execute it without deviation. As for the specifics, he has the authority to act as circumstances dictate—but he must not violate the overall policy!"

"Yes!"