Chapter 1726: Though the Rebels Are Defeated, the Blockade Continues

"Big brother has long been in Andong, and Father often thinks of you and speaks of you often. Since you've returned to the capital this time, you should stay a while longer and keep the old man company!" Liu Yang said to Liu Xu with a magnanimous air.

Apparently because matters had been settled, Liu Xu was in an obviously excellent mood. He nodded at the remark and said lightly, "This return to court is for the Yulin refugee matter, and also for some family affairs.

Over in Andong, everything has already been set on the right track; I don't need to keep a constant eye on it. Staying a few more days is no trouble—I'll head back after the Jiaqing Festival passes. The other matter is Wenyuan's marriage; it's time to choose a worthy match for him!"

Hearing Liu Xu bring this up, Liu Yang was somewhat surprised, then quickly recovered and could not help but sigh: "In the blink of an eye, Wenyuan is nearly at the age of capping and ready for marriage. These past few years, his reputation has spread throughout the Eastern Capital—a young hero! I hear he once personally led troops to suppress the Jurchen on the Eastern Sea, taking over a thousand heads!"

Liu Xu shook his head gently, though a faint smile clearly tugged at the corners of his mouth. He said modestly, "The battle results are real, but the one who commanded was Hou Renju; he merely served in the army. These rumors—they've been twisted in the telling and shouldn't be taken at face value. Otherwise, if General Hou got wind of it, how could he feel at ease?"

Clearly, Liu Xu's words were just talk. Hou Renju was now a seasoned general of the northeast, his standing steadily rising, but he would not dare offend the Prince of Qin or contend with Liu Wenyuan, the emperor's eldest grandson, over merit and fame. Besides, he had already received his due benefits. It was said that if An Shouzhong stepped down, Hou Renju would succeed him in commanding the Andong garrison troops.

Liu Yang smiled and asked, "Is there a family you have in mind?"

Liu Xu paused, then said, "I hear the young daughter of Liu Guangyi, Marquis of Haining, is both talented and beautiful, of pure and virtuous character—she would make an excellent match. However, I don't know what she herself is like, nor whether the Marquis of Haining's family would be willing to give her in marriage. As I see it, this matter will have to be brought to the Kunning Hall and ask Her Ladyship to take some trouble over it!"

Liu Yang nodded: "This is a joyous occasion. I imagine Her Ladyship will be only too pleased—this is the marriage of the imperial eldest grandson, after all. It should be handled with some ceremony."

Liu Xu shook his head again: "The realm is not yet at peace, and the court advocates frugality. It wouldn't be fitting to make a great show of it; proper rites will suffice!"

The brothers chatted a while longer, then Liu Xu took his leave of his own accord—after all, the Crown Prince was busy with state affairs, and he did not wish to take up too much of his time. However, after Liu Xu departed, the smile at the corners of Liu Yang's mouth no longer lingered with restraint; it gradually faded, replaced on his face by deep, brooding thought.

As for this elder brother of his, to claim he felt not the slightest wariness would be pure self-deception. But with every meeting, the impression Liu Xu gave Liu Yang was changing. Now, Liu Xu seemed to have let things go and put them down—that ease and composure, in word and deed, would be hard to fake. Yet by the same token, the strange feeling in Liu Yang's heart was also growing unstoppably.

"Your Highness!" Murong Defeng's voice pulled Liu Yang back from his deep thoughts.

Looking up, Murong Defeng was standing respectfully at attention before the desk, holding a memorial in his hands. Steadying himself, Liu Yang asked, "What instruction does His Majesty have?"

Murong Defeng replied, "His Majesty has decreed: as for the latest news from Yulin, the results of the pacification campaign may be announced and publicized through the Pacification Commission. As for Yulin itself, the current situation shall be maintained for now. All reports from the field headquarters are approved. Support for the northwest pacification must not be reduced!"

Liu Yang took the handwritten edict, looked at it, set it down, and was silent for a few moments before sighing, "Then let it be handled according to His Majesty's decree!"

Murong Defeng nodded, glanced at the Crown Prince, and said with some gravity, "Your Highness, His Majesty also had one more word: in the Yulin pacification, though the two rebels Yuan and Li have been defeated one after another, the pacification is only half done—it cannot be abandoned halfway!"

There was naturally a note of reminder in these words. Looking at Murong Defeng, Liu Yang gave a light laugh or two and said, "I understand!"

Thanks to the two bandit-suppression campaigns last winter, the imperial army had won decisive victories. Naturally, the upper echelons of the court here in the Eastern Capital could not help but rejoice—even Emperor Liu, in his New Year's address, praised and affirmed the work of Zhao Wang, Liu Fang.

But equally, there was no shortage of dissenting voices, especially among the ministers of the Finance Commission, who began to stir with ideas. Their thinking was simple: since the great chaos in Yulin had been settled, the remaining minor disturbances were not worth worrying about. The court should adapt to the times and make timely adjustments.

At bottom, it was still reluctance to pour that great stream of money, grain, and resources endlessly into the northwest. Over the past few months, for the Yulin pacification, the court had been spending money like water.

By now, the Bureau of Military Affairs' pacification plan had been fully rolled out. Setting aside everything else, those hundred-plus thousand troops—men eating and horses chewing—consumed a vast amount daily. On top of that, the refugee problem was also being taken on wholesale.

In the northwest, transport conditions were harsh, especially on the northern highlands within the passes, where ravines and gullies crisscrossed in every direction. Though a few main roads had been built in the past, they were all extremely primitive, with limited carrying capacity.

And most of the troop movements and shipments of grain and equipment were carried out in winter. The brutal climate only worsened the attrition; the losses and waste during transport were extremely severe.

Under the court's large-scale policy of blockade and pacification, the main support behind it lay in the various military supplies. Without adequate guarantees, it could not be sustained.

In just a single winter, the enormous expenditure had already made the court feel the pinch—especially the ministers in charge of finance, men like Wang Zhu and Shen Yilun.

Previously, pacification had been politically correct; no one dared oppose it, and they gritted their teeth and persisted. And Liu Fang had not disappointed the court's trust and support—two decisive battles against the rebels had directly smashed the Yuan and Li rebellions. The situation in Yulin was visibly improving.

Under such circumstances, appropriate adjustments to the Yulin pacification seemed to many to be imperative. At the very least, reducing the troop strength in Yulin to ease the pressure was not out of the question. Some were even directly considering the aftermath and cleanup—in this regard, the court had accumulated ample experience in the past.

Of course, besides the fiscal pressure, there were also ministers more concerned about the impact of the Yulin rebellion, especially the worsening livelihood conditions within the Guannei Circuit, which could not be left unguarded.

Gathered together, these voices were quite loud, and all of them were targeted and purposeful—for the state and for the people. Liu Yang had his own calculations on this matter. Though he had discussed it with the ministers in court, he had not rashly taken a position. Instead, he collected opinions and reported them to Emperor Liu, deferring to the imperial judgment.

On this matter, no matter how active the men below were or how much noise they made, if it did not pass with Emperor Liu, it was all for nothing. Now the reply had come, and Liu Yang's demeanor was fairly calm—or perhaps he had expected it all along.

"This Yulin rebellion—even if it is pacified, the court's losses will likely exceed imagination!" Liu Yang sighed softly.

Murong Defeng was silent, then after thinking it over, said, "Prince Zhao's memorial states that from the third to the sixth month, Yulin can be completely pacified and the northwest threat resolved. I believe his judgment can be trusted."

"Fourth brother's judgment—of course I trust it!" Liu Yang nodded very readily, then said with a wry smile, "The ministers at court can only be placated as best we can!"

Of course, this was also Liu Yang's primary duty at present: harmonizing the various officials and jointly governing the state.

"Your Highness sees clearly!"

"Just now, I saw the Prince of Qin outside the hall!" About to take his leave, Murong Defeng hesitated for a few moments, then could not help but speak up.

At these words, Liu Yang gave him a deep look and said evenly, "We brothers were simply having a chat!"

But why would a chat need to take place in the Hall of State Affairs? As if he had heard Murong Defeng's unspoken thoughts, Liu Yang said, "Andong is short of people. The Prince of Qin hopes the court can relocate a portion of the Yulin refugees to Andong for border settlement and reclamation. I have already agreed!"

Hearing this, Murong Defeng reacted, pondered for a moment, and said somewhat insincerely, "The Prince of Qin truly works tirelessly for Andong's development—he won't let a single opportunity slip by!"

As if he had not understood Murong Defeng's implication, Liu Yang waved a hand and said, "This matter benefits the state; what must be done shall be done!"

Murong Defeng nodded and said nothing more.

Murong Defeng took his leave. Liu Yang pondered a while longer, then said to his personal eunuch Wang Yue, "Go fetch Chancellor Zhao!"

"Yes!"

This Chancellor Zhao naturally referred to Zhao Kuangyi. Soon, Zhao Kuangyi requested an audience. Liu Yang wasted no words and said in a stern tone, "The chaos in Yulin is now under control; the court need not worry about the situation there for the time being. But the disorder within the passes these past few months—it's time to rectify it!"

At these words, Zhao Kuangyi immediately understood Liu Yang's intent. Clearly, he was still brooding over those discordant phenomena within the passes. But Zhao Kuangyi also found them objectionable. After calculating for a moment, he felt the time was ripe to act, and clasped his hands and said, "The restrictions within the passes can indeed be appropriately relaxed, and those disorders ought to be rectified!"

Seeing Zhao Kuangyi's stance, Liu Yang broke into a smile: "This matter can be led by Chancellor Zhao!"

"Yes!"