Chapter 1725: The Qin Wang's Request

The Lantern Festival had just passed, and the citizens of the Eastern Capital were still immersed in the joyful atmosphere of the holiday. The festive lanterns and colorful ribbons throughout the capital remained bright, and officials and clerks were still enjoying their rare leisure time.

Of course, none of this had anything to do with Crown Prince Liu Yang or the high-ranking ministers. After the imperial banquet at Chongyuan Hall, Liu Yang received only a single day of rest before gathering his composure and throwing himself back into the heavy affairs of state. A year's plan begins in spring, and this was indeed a busy season.

Over the past few months, the court's focus had been on the Yulin rebellion, but the empire was vast—Yulin was not the only concern. The true energy consumed by the Yulin rebellion was perhaps no more than one part in ten, especially after the situation there had been completely turned around and brought under control.

As Crown Prince, Liu Yang was perhaps the one who wielded the greatest real power of any crown prince in any dynasty. Though he lacked the formal title of regent, he had long held the substance of governance. Especially in the months since Zhao Pu had stepped down, he had been so busy his feet barely touched the ground.

The empire was too vast, the affairs too numerous, a thousand threads tangled together—even with Liu Yang's diligence, it was difficult to attend to everything at once. Of course, the new leadership team at the center had basically finished adjusting and meshing, and with the assistance of veteran ministers like Song Qi, Zhao Kuangyi, and Wang Zhu, the various administrative tasks could still be pushed forward smoothly.

In the Hall of State Affairs, Liu Yang specially set aside some time to receive Qin Wang Liu Xu. This New Year, Liu Xu's entire family had once again returned to the capital to celebrate the holiday together. Of course, it wasn't just the Qin Wang's family—Jin Wang Liu Xi was the same. Among all the imperial princes, aside from Liu Fang, Liu Min, and Liu Ye in the northwest, and Liu Yun whose whereabouts were unknown, virtually all had gathered in the capital.

Liu Xu was now thirty-six years old, and had been governing Andong for nearly ten years. Long years of struggling against the harsh and bitter environment of the northeast had added a touch of weathered weariness to him, even without any deliberate effort—quite different from his prime years of youthful vigor.

Perhaps because of the cultivation they had received since childhood and the rich experiences they had undergone, Emperor Liu's elder sons, though differing in temperament, all shared certain similar traits.

That was the ability to endure loneliness, to bear hardship, to spare no effort in their work, with determination and perseverance—every one of them like a dragon. This had become a consensus both in court and among the people. It was not flattery, but the result of ten or twenty years of performance that everyone had witnessed with their own eyes.

The two brothers sat facing each other, drinking hot tea. Liu Yang noticed the touch of white that had crept into Liu Xu's sideburns, and his heart was stirred. He said gently, "Andong is harsh, and Eldest Brother insists on living frugally—you must take care of your health!"

After so many years, the relationship between the two brothers could no longer be described as close. Once certain rifts formed, they were difficult to eliminate. However, when they interacted, they could still maintain basic decency, even candor—though such candor, when used between brothers, inevitably carried a hint of distance.

But at this moment, hearing Liu Yang say this, Liu Xu did not think Liu Yang was being insincere. He knew the Crown Prince's temperament well; nowadays, there was no need for too much pretense between the two brothers.

Liu Xu subconsciously raised a hand to touch his sideburns, revealing a slight smile, and said to Liu Yang, "Governing Andong is certainly hard work, but in the end it is only one corner of the land. You, Crown Prince, oversee the state and manage affairs, having to consider the whole realm and exhaust your mind and body for countless millions of people—you are the one who should take more care of yourself!"

Liu Yang's expression was calm as he sighed softly: "Father has placed a burden of ten thousand jun on my shoulders. There is not much I can do—only exhaust every effort and not fail the trust placed in me. That is all!"

The meaning in these words was obvious. Seeing Liu Yang's open and composed manner, Liu Xu was momentarily stunned. This was the first time he had seen Liu Yang assert his authority, and in such a calm, matter-of-fact tone.

A nameless bitterness quietly crept into his heart. Liu Xu quickly suppressed this emotion, exchanged a glance with Liu Yang, and sighed somewhat insincerely: "Father has always judged people accurately—he has entrusted the right person!"

After a few bland pleasantries and a moment of silence, Liu Yang perked up and said in a relaxed tone, "Eldest Brother, Andong's development in recent years has been very gratifying. Hearing about it here in the Eastern Capital, I was truly delighted. The security of the northeast owes much to your achievements in Andong!"

Hearing this, Liu Xu shook his head and said, "The situation in Andong is plain to see. Even with all my painstaking efforts, there is ultimately a ceiling. We still need the court's support—otherwise, let alone further development, whether we can even hold on to all our past achievements is questionable!"

Hearing Liu Xu say this, Liu Yang's brow furrowed slightly. He took a sip of tea and said, "Is there some hidden difficulty in Andong's situation?"

There was a probing note in Liu Yang's words, and Liu Xu also put on an open and candid appearance, speaking unhurriedly: "After ten years of exhausting effort to develop Andong, we have certainly made achievements, but by now, we have unavoidably run into a bottleneck.

The barbarian natives within our borders, after relentless clearing efforts, have been basically brought under control, but they have never been completely eradicated—harassment and raids never cease. The Shiwei in the north also keep pressing southward, especially in recent years, migrating to the Na River basin and repeatedly causing conflicts. The Protectorate has sent troops to drive them off, but has not been able to push them back beyond the northern ridges."

Listening to Liu Xu's account, it was as if the current situation in Andong was very difficult. Of course, these problems did exist, but whether their severity was as described was worth pondering.

And Liu Yang naturally would not believe everything. He had his own judgment—at the very least, he trusted Liu Xu's ability. With Liu Xu's skill, how could he be constrained by mere barbarians? Saying all this was simply for another purpose.

After thinking it over, Liu Yang said, "Eldest Brother, your position in Andong is truly not easy! But these past two years, the Great Han has been beset by many troubles and disturbances. Sixth Brother is on the western campaign, Yulin is being pacified—there are places where I truly cannot attend to everything, and I often feel inadequate. The affairs of Andong will still require Eldest Brother's hard work!"

Hearing Liu Yang say this, Liu Xu laughed out loud, even somewhat brightly, and waved his hand: "Protecting the territory and guarding the borders is both a duty and a mission. My return to the capital this time is not to seek aid from the court—I understand the court has its own difficulties and troubles. However, since we've come this far in our conversation, I must still shamelessly make a request of the court."

Liu Yang watched Liu Xu, silently mulling things over in his mind, his face betraying nothing. He said, "Eldest Brother, speak frankly—wherever I am able, I will certainly do my utmost to push things forward!"

Liu Yang's words seemed like a promise, yet also not quite. Hearing this, Liu Xu no longer hid anything and said slowly, "Andong's greatest shortcoming lies in its vast territory and sparse population. Over the years, attracting people has always been something we persisted in doing.

But by now, the results have become increasingly less apparent. At present, the entire population of Han commoners under Andong's governance is less than four hundred thousand. As for those barbarians who have submitted, I do not trust them either—the Yulin rebellion is warning enough.

Therefore, my request concerns population—I hope the court can extend a helping hand according to its capacity!"

Liu Yang looked at Liu Xu thoughtfully, silently weighing the matter in his mind. Liu Xu continued on his own: "Although Andong is remote and bitterly cold, whether farmland or pasture, there are vast tracts of undeveloped land—what we lack is merely the labor to develop it.

The past immigration policies, after these ten years, have become increasingly insufficient, and their appeal to the people of the interior keeps declining. I heard that during the Yulin rebellion, the Guannei circuit took in a large number of refugees fleeing south, and the court plans to relocate them to the western frontier for settlement."

Hearing this, Liu Yang suddenly understood, and now had a clear picture. He smiled lightly: "So Eldest Brother has set his sights on those Yulin refugees?"

"Correct!" Liu Xu nodded: "Compared to immigrants from the interior, these border people are precisely the ones who better meet Andong's requirements. They have experience in opening up new lands and cultivating them, they can endure more hardship, and after the Yulin rebellion, they will have less resistance to relocation. The Andong side will also make every effort to settle them.

My demands are not high—twenty or thirty thousand is fine, forty or fifty thousand would not be too many either."

When Liu Xu finished, Liu Yang immediately shook his head: "Up to now, according to the reports from the Guannei circuit, the total number of refugees taken in has been just over fifty thousand. If Eldest Brother takes all of them, I'm afraid it will be hard to explain to Sixth Brother."

"Then half!" Liu Xu said immediately, with an air of having already compromised.

Liu Yang thought for a moment, met Liu Xu's gaze, and finally nodded: "Since Eldest Brother has spoken, of course I cannot refuse. This matter is settled—I will have someone make the arrangements. Andong can also send people to Guannei to organize the migration!"

This matter was well within Liu Yang's decision-making authority, and since he had made the final call, the problem was clearly not a big one.

Receiving Liu Yang's assent, Liu Xu smiled again and cupped his hands in salute: "Thank you!"

Liu Yang waved his hand and sighed: "It's all for the sake of the state and the altars of the realm. If Andong is stable, the northeast can be at peace!"

"There is one more matter!" Liu Xu continued: "Father once said, if you want to get rich, build roads first. The road conditions in the northeast are extremely poor. I intend to build a direct road from Andong connecting to Liaodong, to strengthen internal and external connections and exchanges!"

At this, Liu Yang hesitated again: "This is a good thing, but the court's finances may be difficult to coordinate."

Liu Xu said: "In terms of manpower and funds, Andong can bear half the burden—we only need the court's policy support and the cooperation of the Liaodong side!"

Clearly, Liu Xu had long since made up his mind on this matter. Liu Yang hesitated for a brief moment, then still nodded: "I will have the Finance Bureau and the Ministry of Works discuss this and give Eldest Brother an answer as soon as possible."

"Then I shall await the good news!" Though Liu Yang had not given a direct final decision, Liu Xu still responded with a smile. He knew well in his heart that building roads and bridges was beneficial to the northeast and to the nation as a whole, and he had also proposed to share the burden proactively. If Liu Yang refused for some other reason, the outcome before Emperor Liu might not be favorable.