Chapter 1906: Countermeasures

"You are the first minister I have summoned alone in these past days—do you know why?" Emperor Liu asked Guo Liangping, calculating silently in his mind.

Guo Liangping answered without hesitation, clasping his fists: "Your servant humbly awaits Your Majesty's instruction!"

"The matter of enfeoffment has stirred up quite a commotion, with voices rising everywhere—you must have heard of it too!" Emperor Liu asked again.

"Yes!" Guo Liangping's mind stirred at these words, and he nodded in response.

"I have heard that over this matter, you even came to blows with Pan Mei and the others!" As he mentioned this, Emperor Liu's tone had already taken on a measure of severity.

Sensing the change in Emperor Liu's tone, Guo Liangping started slightly and lowered his head to answer: "Your servant agreed with Your Majesty's position, but Commissioner Pan and the others seemed not to share it, showing some hesitation, and so there was some contention born of temper."

"Merely contention born of temper? I think not!" Emperor Liu picked up several memorials laid on the imperial desk and tossed them aside casually, saying coldly: "I have received no small number of impeachments against you—would you like to hear how they describe you?"

Saying this, without waiting for Guo Liangping to answer, Emperor Liu continued: "Presuming upon favor to grow arrogant, taking pride in one's achievements, showing contempt for superiors, and disrespecting one's elders! I believe that among these accusations, there are certainly some exaggerations, but to have so many people unite in attacking you and reporting to me—you, Guo Liangping, are quite capable indeed!"

These words of Emperor Liu, carrying obvious mockery, were like a basin of cold water poured over Guo Liangping. He could not stand, nor could he sit, and directly knelt down, his face full of fear as he begged forgiveness: "Your servant was arrogant and ignorant, and treated Commissioner Pan with disrespect. I beg Your Majesty to forgive my crime!"

Looking at Guo Liangping prostrating himself before him in a display of fearful deference, Emperor Liu felt not the slightest ripple in his heart. He used silence to apply pressure, and only when the man could barely bear it did he speak again.

Emperor Liu had not summoned Guo Liangping merely for those internal disputes within the Bureau of Military Affairs. Those contradictions were serious if one took them seriously, but if Emperor Liu did not care, they were not worth half a copper coin.

The reason for this sudden rebuke was merely to knock this man down a peg—and Guo Liangping truly did deserve a knocking. Looking at the increasingly uneasy Guo Liangping, Emperor Liu flicked his sleeve and said slowly: "That you can agree with my proposal on enfeoffment, I am gratified! But if it is only verbal support, that is too cheap and impractical. If it is used as a means to attack political opponents, to achieve some hidden purpose, then that would be a crime deserving of death!"

This was the first time Emperor Liu had so unsparingly and nakedly revealed his suspicion toward a minister. Guo Liangping broke out in cold sweat, his back completely unable to remain straight, and he could only accept the imperial instruction in a humble posture.

"Your servant... your servant..." Guo Liangping was not silver-tongued, but ordinarily his logic was always clear—otherwise, in the daily work of the Bureau of Military Affairs, it would not have been debate but muddled wrangling—yet at this moment, his mind was a complete blank, and he did not know what to do.

"Enough!" Emperor Liu, without regard for his reaction, waved his hand and said: "I will not waste more words. When the enfeoffment was announced, the boast was already made, and I must follow through and succeed. Otherwise, where would I put this old face of mine? Don't you agree?"

Emperor Liu's question was truly difficult to answer—to say yes was improper, and to say no was even more improper. So Guo Liangping simply said: "Your servant has no second words. Please issue the imperial edict, Your Majesty. Whatever is commanded, I shall obey without exception!"

Seeing Guo Liangping's declaration, Emperor Liu finally smiled a little, shifted in his seat, and the atmosphere of the conversation finally relaxed somewhat. Pointing at the "Enfeoffment Map" hanging on the side of the hall, he said: "The other places need not concern you, but when it comes to the South Seas, you have the most say in the court! In these years, a portion of the Great Han's achievements in opening up the south was obtained under your leadership, and the remaining portion was also carried out with the support and protection of the Maritime Circuit."

"Your Majesty overpraises me; your servant does not dare accept!" Feeling the affirmation in Emperor Liu's words, Guo Liangping relaxed slightly inwardly and feigned modesty.

Looking at him, Emperor Liu asked: "You must have heard of my considerations regarding the enfeoffment of the various islands in the South Seas—tell me your thoughts!"

At this question, Guo Liangping could not help but fall into thought. After pondering for a moment, he spoke with clasped hands: "Based on what has been surveyed in the South Seas so far, although there are many islands both large and small, most are rainforests with harsh environments and rarely visited by men. The lands held by those common native barbarians are not worth mentioning—once the imperial army arrives, they will naturally surrender and beg for mercy, becoming slaves and servants.

The only ones truly worthy of attention are the two kingdoms of Srivijaya and Shepo. Although both are barbarian states, the lands they hold are the very essence of the South Seas' territories, with years of farming foundation—their value is enormous.

When your servant was in the South Seas back then, seeing those fertile lands fallen into the hands of those natives, I felt both regret and pain. If they were managed by our industrious Han people, the crops and produce would be enough to support millions of people.

At the same time, these two kingdoms have established themselves as nations with considerable history. Your servant has always believed that to achieve the ultimate goal of colonizing the South Seas, one must extinguish their states, erase their histories, and then spread the majesty and grace of our Great Han Emperor, and carry forward the brilliance of our Chinese civilization...

Now, if Your Majesty wishes to carry out enfeoffment and territorial expansion, then these two kingdoms must also be eliminated!"

Guo Liangping solemnly expounded his views to Emperor Liu, growing more excited as he spoke. The more stifled he had felt in the Bureau of Military Affairs these past two years, the more satisfying it was to state his case now. This fervor of sketching out a blueprint was something he could never feel under the suppression of old generals like Pan Mei.

Emperor Liu listened attentively, then gestured to Yan Tuo to serve Guo Liangping a cup of tea, and asked again: "Regarding that campaign against Srivijaya, according to your post-battle report, the victory was somewhat fortunate. Our army won too quickly, the enemy lost too painfully, and with the Shepo kingdom and various native tribal forces tying them down, that was what forced the King of Srivijaya to yield.

But seizing an island—even a strategic location—is different in nature from extinguishing a state. Their reactions will differ, and the difficulties the Great Han faces and the resistance it endures will also differ.

Add the Shepo kingdom on top of that, and the difficulty rises another level. Do you think it can be done, and how should it be approached?"

At this question, Guo Liangping's surging emotions cooled somewhat. After thinking for a while, he spoke with an even more solemn expression: "Your Majesty, your servant's reasons for insisting that enfeoffment is feasible—or rather, the basis for it—are mainly three.

First, it is the strength of the Great Han's national power and the might of its armor and soldiers. Although kingdoms like Srivijaya and Shepo are not lacking in fierce warriors, their training, discipline, and equipment lag far behind the Great Han's. In a head-on engagement, whether on water or on land, they are absolutely no match for the imperial army. Should war come, one only needs to seek an opportunity to force a decisive battle and annihilate their forces—then the destruction of their state is half accomplished!"

"That's a bit optimistic, isn't it?" Emperor Liu frowned and said: "Even if, as you say, we destroy most of their armies, what if the people of Srivijaya refuse to surrender even unto death? What if they shift from open resistance to guerrilla warfare, hiding in those mountain rainforests, harassing and ambushing, and playing cat and mouse with the court like those barbarians in Andong?"

To this, Guo Liangping replied with murderous intent: "Your Majesty, the Andong Protectorate has already set the example, and the improvement in public order in Andong over these years is evident to all. Since the current policies in Andong are effective, they can naturally be applied to the South Seas.

Moreover, it is not that your servant is arrogant, but compared to the barbarians of the northeast, those South Seas natives are hardly worthy of being called opponents. The real difficulty lies in how to successfully launch overseas campaigns and how to secure military supplies and logistics..."