Chapter 1885: Reason Is Reason, but the War Must Still Be Fought

At this moment, although he sensed some subtle shift in attitude from Emperor Liu's tone, Liu Yang did not intend to speak his mind directly, instead choosing to maintain an impartial stance.

After a brief pause, Liu Yang said: "In the Anxi army, there is an abundance of draft animals and many mules and horses. Marching speed can be guaranteed at fifty li per day. The Governor-General's office plans to spend one month marching and half a month resting, then seek an opportunity to attack the enemy at Talas. I have consulted Commissioner Pan of the Bureau of Military Affairs, and we both believe the plan is feasible.

Additionally, the Governor-General's office reports that the Arab allied forces, having suffered a crushing defeat last year, have had their morale shaken long ago. Combined with their internal contradictions, conflicting orders, and mutual obstruction, they are hard-pressed to become a major threat. In this Yangcheng victory, the Talas enemy's eastward relief force was merely going through the motions—they hadn't advanced two hundred li before they touched the forward scouts of Li Jilong's army and immediately retreated..."

"Therefore, the Anxi commanders believe this is a golden opportunity to break the enemy, and it must not be missed!"

"So you think so too?" As expected, Emperor Liu finally asked for Liu Yang's stance.

Meeting Emperor Liu's clearly scrutinizing gaze, Liu Yang said calmly: "We can fight!"

Seeing this, a slight smile tugged at the corner of Emperor Liu's mouth, revealing a hint of satisfaction. But it did not last long—his expression turned stern as he continued: "According to previous reports, even after the heavy losses suffered by the enemy coalition at the Battle of Suyab, the remaining enemy forces at Talas still number no fewer than twenty thousand. With over a year of reinforcements, they remain a stubborn foe that must not be underestimated.

How many soldiers does our army in Anxi currently have? Have the Bureau of Military Affairs' deployments all been carried out?"

In response, Liu Yang answered fluently: "After more than a year of adjustment and reinforcement, the various armies under the Anxi Governor-General's office now have over thirty-two thousand battle-ready troops, half of whom are veterans of many campaigns. Of the remainder, aside from a portion of foreign volunteer soldiers, most have received at least a year of militia training. The transport and stockpiling of grain, fodder, and military equipment is also sufficient to launch a major campaign..."

"Your understanding of the Anxi situation is quite thorough!" Emperor Liu said after hearing his account.

At this, Liu Yang furrowed his brow slightly, then clasped his hands and said composedly: "On the current frontier, Anxi is the only place where heavy troops are concentrated, and it is the Great Han's only active war front. Naturally, I must pay close attention!"

Emperor Liu seemed merely to be speaking offhandedly. He nodded and remarked with feeling: "With such strength in hand, how could Liu Min sit still? If we're going to fight, let's fight a decisive battle and wipe out those bandits who dare to offend imperial majesty in one stroke. Keeping heavy troops stationed on the frontier for a long time places too heavy a burden on the court, and it's not good for the government either..."

As things stood, Anxi was the largest concentration of heavy troops on the Great Han's frontier—a great army capable of strategic operations, with unrivaled strength that even Andong could not compare to.

Over the years, although the pacification campaigns in Andong had never ceased, the court's troops there had been steadily reduced. By the twenty-fifth year of Kaibao, the registered regular troops numbered only nine thousand cavalry and infantry.

In contrast, the number of subordinate tribal armies had been continuously increasing. This was a necessity—relying on only those few troops and four to five hundred thousand Han civilians to control the vast Andong region was unrealistic. They had no choice but to rely on the native barbarians.

Of course, this was not an indiscriminate recruitment of natives. The Andong Governor-General's office selected only those tribes that had been disciplined over a long period and had developed strong obedience to the Great Han. Thus, in recent years, whether it was suppressing the wild Jurchens of the White Mountains and Black Waters or driving back the Mongol Shiwei who kept raiding southward, the main fighting force consisted of subordinate tribal warriors.

The lives of Han sons were, after all, more precious and were to be spared from attrition in pacification operations as much as possible. In successive campaigns, the Han army in Andong served more as army supervisors overseeing battles and plugging gaps—this had already become an established pattern.

The only thing to guard against was these subordinate barbarians turning on their masters, though for now the problem was not serious. Liu Xu and his son were especially vigilant on this matter and knew how to use their methods—taming them with both the big stick and the carrot until they were perfectly docile, while regularly splitting and reorganizing them to ensure control.

Compared to the military structural changes in Andong, Anxi was far more straightforward. Although there were some subordinate troops, they were small in scale. An army predominantly composed of Han naturally had much stronger combat effectiveness. Of course, the hard battles were mostly fought by the Han army, so their losses were naturally greater—this was the reason for the endless opposition to Anxi within the court. The burden was simply too heavy.

Emperor Liu's words at this moment were somewhat unexpected. At least in Liu Yang's view, Emperor Liu could "actually" consider matters so calmly and rationally. These issues were not complicated, but the Emperor Liu of the past seemed unable to see them—or perhaps deliberately ignored them.

No matter what he thought inwardly, Liu Yang still smiled and offered a flattering remark: "Your Majesty is wise!"

"Autumn has already arrived. The Anxi side has probably already begun military operations. Let's wait for the results!" Emperor Liu let out a gentle sigh and said softly: "With so many outstanding talents of the Great Han there, they should not disappoint Us and the court!"

Let's take stock of the current power-holders in the Anxi army: Liu Min, Li Jilong, Xiang Deming, Yang Yanlang, Kang Baoyi, and Emperor Liu's thirteenth son, Liu Ye. Setting aside the other nobles, the presence of two imperial princes and one son-in-law was enough to demonstrate the importance placed on this front. Compared to that, the thirty-some thousand troops seemed almost secondary.

"Based on Liu Min's past habits, the victory tribute from Yangcheng must come with no small number of requests. Tell me, what is he asking the court for this time?" Emperor Liu's tone carried a hint of teasing, but his old face wore a kindly, benevolent expression.

Liu Yang maintained his solemn expression and replied: "At present, what the Anxi army most urgently needs from the court is gunpowder and cannons. Sixth Brother hopes the court can transfer another hundred cannons for the campaign, and also send a number of craftsmen skilled in manufacturing shells and repairing cannons to serve at the front..."

"That boy—quite an appetite!" Emperor Liu cursed with a laugh upon hearing this.

At present, the Great Han's cannons had already been developed to the third generation, and explosive shells had reached the testing stage. But what could be produced and used on a mature scale was still mainly the "first-generation" cannon. Total output was still low—after all these years, only a little over two thousand had been made. After accounting for various losses, the number in service across the nation's armies was not large, and many units were still waiting to be equipped.

Against this backdrop, the fact that Emperor Liu had previously allocated over two hundred cannons to Anxi was a privilege reserved for his own son. Now Liu Min opened his mouth asking for a hundred cannons at once—never mind how the Bureau of Military Affairs and the Ministry of War would react, Emperor Liu himself would not approve it.

"With thousands of li of distance and cannons being so heavy and cumbersome, by the time they're transported to Anxi, the war would probably already be over. That Liu Min is a sly one!" Emperor Liu chuckled, then said: "Gunpowder and maintenance craftsmen can be drawn in part. As for the cannons... transfer twenty from Hexi to him. That's all there is. As for Hexi, the Ministry of War will make up the difference later!"

"Yes!"

"Furthermore!" Weapons were important but not fundamental. Liu Yang continued: "Compared to weapons and equipment, what Sixth Brother wants even more is population!"

Hearing this, Emperor Liu's brows involuntarily furrowed, and his tone even carried a trace of impatience: "If I had the ability to scatter beans and turn them into soldiers, I'd gladly send her a few cartloads of beans. But I don't... Besides, given Anxi's current situation, how could it possibly retain people? Consider it after the war is over!"

Liu Yang nodded first, then explained: "Sixth Brother's meaning is that the Türgesh tribes around Yangcheng have been fence-sitting, wavering between rebellion and submission—they can no longer be trusted, and he has lost patience with them. What Sixth Brother is asking for this time is not the Great Han's good citizens, but the various barbarian tribes along the border.

Around Yangcheng, the water and grass are abundant and the climate pleasant, suitable for herding. Sixth Brother wants to relocate tribes from within the realm to herd and produce there, in order to balance the local tribal forces..."

Hearing this, Emperor Liu showed obvious interest. After considering for a moment, he asked: "What do you think?"

Liu Yang clasped his hands and said: "I have considered this matter. In the border prefectures and circuits, there are still some tribes active in the mountains and wilds that do not submit to imperial civilization. The activities of these tribes have caused serious damage to local public order.

I thought—if we send envoys to pacify and recruit them, allowing them to retain their customs, but at the price of relocating to Anxi, perhaps we could achieve both goals at once!"

Hearing Liu Yang's suggestion, Emperor Liu was somewhat surprised. He studied Liu Yang and raised a finger, saying: "Not a bad idea. Do you think this plan can be carried out?"

Liu Yang said with a composed expression: "Without trying, it's hard to know the effect!"

"Then go try it!" Emperor Liu waved his hand.

His gaze withdrew from Liu Yang and shifted to Liu Wenhuan, who had been sitting quietly to the side, listening silently to the conversation between his father and grandfather.

Looking at this grandson he doted on, Emperor Liu showed a kindly expression and said, seemingly in jest: "Wenhuan, I have a task for you! Your sixth uncle needs a batch of military supplies. You will be responsible for escorting them to the Anxi battlefield. Do you dare?"