Chapter 2053: The Final Journey 21

For the old Emperor, in the few remaining days of the twenty-ninth year of Kaibao, the only thing worth rejoicing over was probably the return of Liu Chun, the heir of Prince Yong. Nearly two years had passed since Liu Yun, Liu Chun, Guo Liangping, and others led troops south to formally launch military conquest of the South Seas.

Tens of thousands of Han army troops crossing thousands of li of ocean on an expedition was destined to leave a resplendent mark on Chinese military history. This was different from the war launched years ago to seize Liangping Island against Srivijaya—not just in scale, but more importantly in war aims: to destroy the barbarian states outright and formally establish Han rule across the vast South Seas region.

This was an action promoted by the old Emperor to assert Chinese sovereignty over the South Seas region, and from this a tradition was fundamentally established, giving later generations full confidence and grounds to proclaim "since ancient times."

Though thousands of li away, the old Emperor would from time to time inquire about the South Seas war. One of his sons had been lost on the southward journey, and moreover the South Seas campaign had become an obsession of his—one might say it was the final stroke in his blueprint for the Great Han Empire.

The vast spatial distance severely impeded the transmission of information. Over the past two years, it took roughly three months to receive reports from the South Seas front, and according to the battle reports, progress had been rapid.

As for those native states of the South Seas, facing the Han army head-on, they basically stood no chance of being a match, and the development of the war proved this. As early as a year ago, those South Seas states had essentially all collapsed; their fragile political organizations simply could not withstand the immense pressure from the Great Han's land and naval forces.

Srivijaya, a regional power, had its rule over the Northern and Southern Gold Coasts completely destroyed, and even Palembang, its place of origin, was taken by Guo Liangping, becoming the forward camp headquarters of the South Seas Expeditionary Force.

The Northern and Southern Gold Coasts referred to Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. Because of their abundant gold mines, Han settlers going to pan for gold in the two places grew increasingly numerous, and gradually the gold panners came to call them the Gold Coasts.

Srivijaya's collapse was foreseeable—after all, it was a case of the Great Han bullying the small with its size, oppressing the weak with its strength. In the past twenty years, its only act of resistance had been met with a forced cession of territory and a plea for peace.

Destroyed along with it was the state of East Java. The island of Java had long been in a state of fragmentation, its political organization even more primitive and backward than Srivijaya's. In recent decades, however, it had produced a figure who could barely be called a "hero"—Murocha.

Under Murocha's leadership, East Java developed well, especially by riding the wave of the Great Han's overseas expansion. It obtained large quantities of fine ironware, cloth, and other goods from Han merchants, and as early as three years ago had nearly completed the unification of Java Island.

Originally, Guo Liangping had planned to employ some fancy maneuvers—stirring up conflict between Srivijaya and East Java, then watching from the shore and reaping the benefits. Unexpectedly, Murocha didn't fall for it; on the contrary, there was a trend toward uniting to resist the Great Han's aggression.

So in the end, Guo Liangping had to abandon wishful thinking and rely on hard power to crush them. First he eliminated the small navy Srivijaya had painstakingly built, then seized the Northern Gold Coast, and then launched the sea-crossing campaign: Guo Liangping attacked the Southern Gold Coast, Liu Chun subdued Java Island, while Prince Qi Liu Yun sat in command at Liangping Island as the overall logistics coordinator for the main army.

By now, the barbarian states were all destroyed, and the Han army's war banners had been planted across the major towns of the three islands. However, as one could imagine, relying on just a few tens of thousands of expeditionary troops to completely control the three islands was a fundamentally impossible task.

Therefore, for the South Seas Expeditionary Force, destroying Srivijaya and East Java was only a beginning. What was even more difficult was how to establish a political organization locally—even the most basic one.

Up to now, the major towns and ports of the three islands remained under the expeditionary force's military administration. The Great Han's merchants and settlers in the South Seas closely followed the imperial army, becoming grassroots governance organizations subordinate to the expeditionary force under the rough military administration system. The fruits of decades of Han merchant and settler pioneering in the South Seas were further consolidated in this process. After all, the status of Han merchants and settlers in the South Seas could not be built on goods and cargo alone—ultimately it had to rest on the Great Han's warships and the blades of its soldiers.

The old Emperor, on his tour to Guangzhou, had followed the Guangnan fleet out to sea for a spin, and naturally thought again of the South Seas war. He even developed a concern: would the turmoil in Guangzhou Prefecture have an adverse effect on the South Seas battlefield? After all, even separated by thousands of li, Guangzhou remained the expeditionary army's most important logistics base.

Liu Changyan's answer somewhat set the old Emperor's mind at ease. In his words, there would be some impact, but not much. The expeditionary force's supply and transport system was ultimately an independently operating system that the Arabs couldn't influence. On the contrary, the property confiscated from the Arabs could make up part of the Guangnan East Circuit's finances—though compared to Guangzhou Prefecture's heavy losses in the disturbance, it was only a short-term gain.

For the old Emperor, learning that the impact on the expeditionary force was minimal was enough to delight His Sacred Heart—that was good enough. As for Liu Chun's return, reporting on the South Seas war was secondary; his main purpose was to mourn Prince Yong Liu Chenghsun!

Nearly five months had passed since Prince Yong's death. When the news of his passing reached the South Seas, Liu Chun was still leading troops in mopping up remnants of Javanese resistance. Upon receiving the grievous news, he set aside those remnants, handed over his military and administrative affairs, and immediately set sail for home.

After all that rushing about, by the time he set foot on the mainland again, it was already the tail end of deep winter. When Liu Chun and his party arrived at Qingshan Harbor, the old Emperor was still there, waiting for his entourage to arrive from Guangzhou Prefecture.

Uncle and nephew, reunited after years apart, naturally shared a mix of grief and joy, and the topic of Prince Yong Liu Chenghsun gave them ample material to pour out their sorrow.

On the old Emperor's side, seeing Liu Chun, Liu Chenghsun's face and manner involuntarily floated into his mind, and the grief of losing his brother, buried deep in his heart, was stirred up again. The sorrow was nearly hysterical; it was only because Liu Wenhuan and Liu Wenji, the brothers accompanying him, saw the situation turning bad and joined Liu Chun in urging and consoling him that the old Emperor gradually calmed down.

To be fair, in his feelings toward Prince Yong Liu Chenghsun, the old Emperor's affection ran far deeper than Liu Chun's, even though Liu Chun was his own son.

Liu Chun was thirty-six years old, but more than twenty years of his life had been spent away from Liu Chenghsun's side. The spatial distance inevitably affected the father-son bond, so while Liu Chun was certainly grieved by Liu Chenghsun's death, it came more from the moral constraints of traditional filial piety.

Although the old Emperor had increasingly revealed his ordinary human side in recent years, he was ultimately still a political creature. His emotions came quickly and went quickly. Under the consolations of the others, he swiftly shook himself free from his remembrance of his brother, resumed his usual deep and solemn demeanor, and began inquiring about the South Seas expedition.

Liu Chun also efficiently reported on the past two years of the South Seas war. Much of it had been mentioned in earlier battle reports, but he went into far greater detail, and also devoted special attention to describing the current situation in the South Seas and the expeditionary force's management problems.

The old Emperor listened very attentively and showed great patience. Only after Liu Chun finished his prepared remarks did he gesture for him to drink a cup of hot tea, then followed with a deep sigh: "Crossing thousands of li of ocean to attack foreign lands—these two years have not been easy for you!"

Hearing this, Liu Chun immediately replied: "Your Majesty, indeed it has not been easy! However, for the officers and men of the expedition, it is a tremendous honor! Consider: since the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, in every dynasty, has there ever been one like our Great Han, crossing thousands of li to punish the disobedient and spread our Great Han's glory?

The South Seas expedition brings profit in goods and wealth on the private level, and on the public level it is a deed for a thousand ages. The officers and men of the army all eagerly joined the campaign, sharp and enterprising."

Liu Chun's words naturally carried a hint of flattery, and the old Emperor thought so too. Yet noticing the excited gleam in Liu Chun's brow, he couldn't help but believe it was at least half sincere.

"In the eyes of not a few ministers and subjects, my launching the South Seas expedition is merely for personal desire and a love of grandiose achievements!" The old Emperor chuckled for a moment, then looked at Liu Chun and asked with a light sigh: "Two years on expedition, letters from home rarely seen—how is morale in the army?"

At the question, Liu Chun pondered briefly, then cupped his hands and replied: "Naturally not what it was two years ago. The main issue is the protracted duration, the unceasing disturbances, and the frequent harassment by remnant natives, which has made the soldiers endlessly vexed.

Fortunately, supplies have never been lacking, and the Commander-in-Chief has adopted a strategy of rotating garrisons, grasping the large and releasing the small, and mopping up by segments—this has provided some relief!"

"Since the expedition began, what have the casualties been?"

"When your subject departed, the soldiers who had died in the South Seas numbered 4,972, with total casualties around 9,000." Liu Chun replied with some deliberation.

Hearing this figure, the old Emperor's expression remained fairly calm, but he still sighed softly: "Another five thousand loyal souls, buried in a foreign land!"

Liu Chun's tone also turned unavoidably heavy, and he immediately bowed to the old Emperor: "Reporting to Your Majesty, on this return to the homeland, your subject has also brought back the ashes and personal effects of the fallen soldiers, as well as war spoils and compensation funds. I humbly request that Your Majesty issue an edict of commendation and distribute the compensation to the families!" "This is only proper; I will issue the edict shortly!" The old Emperor nodded affirmatively.

"Your subject, on behalf of the expeditionary soldiers, thanks Your Majesty!" Liu Chun bowed in gratitude, then, showing a slight hesitation, added: "Your Majesty, these soldiers died for the nation. Their compensation must be delivered completely and thoroughly to their parents, wives, and children!"

Having said this, Liu Chun lowered his head. The old Emperor was somewhat taken aback, but quickly stated calmly and resolutely: "I understand your concern. If anyone dares to lay a hand on this matter, I will not only cut off his hand—I will exterminate his entire clan!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Liu Chun bowed again.

Waving him off, the old Emperor continued: "Your words are light, but I can hear that the expedition has been exceedingly difficult. If there is anything else requiring the court's support, speak freely!"

Seeing the old Emperor's stance, Liu Chun did not stand on ceremony and immediately made his request: "Your Majesty, the expeditionary force's greatest difficulty at present is insufficient troops. The Northern and Southern Gold Coasts and Java Island are truly vast, and controlling them is somewhat beyond our capacity."

"Sending more troops is not an option!" The moment Liu Chun opened his mouth, the old Emperor knew his intention and decisively rejected it, leaving no room for negotiation: "Back then, Liu Min also asked me for troops to strengthen Anxi, and I rejected him the same way.

The South Seas expedition was pushed through by me alone, and dissent in the court was already considerable. Though they dare not speak too openly, there are not a few who resent me in their hearts for exhausting the people and wasting the nation's resources.

In fact, looking at the present situation, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits—countless money and grain expended, and overseas trade revenue affected as well.

Though the South Seas Expeditionary Force is not even half the size of the Western Expedition, the money and grain it consumes is not a bit less than what Anxi cost.

If we continue to send more troops, the court will inevitably react as one body, and with me not in the capital, some people are hopping about merrily. I could certainly force it through, but the actual work must be done by the ministers below. Though I am loath to admit I'm getting old, I know full well that going against everyone's will is no longer something an old man like me can do."

Unconsciously, the old Emperor had again revealed his twilight mentality. Looking at the pensive Liu Chun, he reined in his emotions and said: "The problem of insufficient troops must be solved by the expeditionary force itself—tap the potential of the South Seas locals!"

With that, the old Emperor offered Liu Chun advice: "The policies you are implementing in the South Seas can be bolder. Whether conscripting from among the South Seas merchants and settlers or drilling submissive native auxiliaries, these are all good methods—and necessary things to do to establish a foothold locally.

As for Srivijaya and Java—did they truly establish strong, effective rule over their own lands? I suspect not, otherwise they would not have been so easily broken by the imperial army. In the short term, their governance methods can still be borrowed. Moreover, we have hundreds of thousands of South Seas merchants and settlers to rely on.

Overseas is ultimately not like home. Greedily seeking completeness is truly inadvisable. Establishing Han rule and promoting Han institutions—that is the long-term plan!"

"What Your Majesty says is most true; the South Seas matter can only be handled this way!" While expressing agreement with the old Emperor's words, Liu Chun cautiously added: "However, the soldiers in the South Seas have been away from home for a long time, and many miss their families. Though they obey orders and persist, morale inevitably slips.

Your subject wonders—if sending more troops is not feasible, might we follow the precedent of Anxi and gradually rotate the expeditionary soldiers, dispatching fresh troops from home?"

Hearing this suggestion, the old Emperor mulled it over, nodded slightly, and said: "This proposal is acceptable. However, as for the specifics of the rotation, after you return to Luoyang to offer sacrifices to your father, raise it with the Crown Prince."

Liu Chun was inwardly surprised, but seeing the old Emperor's calm expression, despite his doubts, he cupped his hands and replied: "Yes!"

"Any other requests?" The old Emperor seemed somewhat embarrassed and asked again.

Contrary to his expectations, Liu Chun shook his head.

The old Emperor couldn't help but be astonished: "On such an expedition, with military supplies and logistical replenishment—surely there are no problems?"

Liu Chun spoke with ease and confidence: "Though the distance is vast, the sea routes are open, and the navy holds absolute control over the South Seas waters."

Moreover, for a cross-sea expedition, grain and supplies could be gathered on-site; the local produce was truly abundant, and the soldiers would not go hungry.

The only things truly scarce were weapons, gunpowder, cloth, medicinal herbs, and other materials that were rare locally—and the supply of these was still quite well guaranteed.

In the process of conquering the two kingdoms, there had also been no small amount of plunder, yielding great quantities of gold, silver, and vessels, which greatly offset the military expenses.

Hearing this, the old Emperor smiled: "It seems the expeditionary forces have actually turned a profit!"

Liu Chun immediately stated: "On this return to the homeland with your servant, ten ships of war spoils have come along in advance, prepared to be presented to Your Majesty!"

"I shall not take them—hand them over to the state treasury!" The old Emperor waved his hand generously, saying: "This will just serve to silence some people!"

"As you command!"

After a brief pause, the old Emperor took a deep breath, turned to scrutinize Liu Chun carefully, and asked with a rather grave expression: "Back then, I already had the intention to enfeoff the South Seas, but due to various obstacles, I had to shelve it. Sending you to conquer the South Seas was also to prepare for enfeoffment.

Now that you have returned from the South Seas, your understanding of the situation there runs deeper than those high-sitting idle talkers at court. In your view, is it the right time for enfeoffment of the South Seas?"