Chapter 2169: Taizong Chronicles 37: Turning the Page

Shifting the perspective to Emperor Liu Wenji, when he received Wanyan Shilu's secret report, his mood was naturally a mix of emotions. Beyond shock and alarm, an indescribable sense of anticipation and excitement welled up in his chest.

But in the end, even the anger from the beginning of the northern tour subsided, and all negative emotions were suppressed by this single memorial, returning him to a state of calm and rationality. Liu Wenji had no choice but to steady himself and seriously consider the threat of Andong, reflecting on whether his own decisions and measures contained any flaws.

How had it come to this? Why had it come to this?

Looking back suddenly, Liu Wenji realized with a start that even having reached Youzhou, he still had no precise plan for dealing with Andong in his heart. Weakening and suppressing them was a necessity, but to what extent, and what specific measures to take — these were matters Liu Wenji would have to ponder carefully.

Especially the latter — did he truly want to break with Andong openly, fight a war, and use the most direct and violent means to eliminate the threat? That was certainly not what Liu Wenji wanted. Military affairs are matters of state; how could one lightly take up arms, especially between the imperial house and a vassal state?

With this in mind, as Liu Wenji reviewed his previous actions, he could not help but feel remorse. He realized he had been guilty of arrogance — a fault he had not committed in the past several decades.

The King of Andong was old, and Liu Wenji had also sought to exploit his age, but if he truly regarded him as a piece of rotten wood unfit for any task, that would be far too arrogant. At the very least, Liu Wenji had not considered how he would respond if his pressure tactics provoked a drastic upheaval in Andong.

For Liu Wenji, he absolutely did not regret the exclusion and suppression of Andong; what he could not tolerate was his own lack of thorough deliberation — the low-level mistakes he had made in his preparatory measures.

And Wanyan Shilu's report happened to serve as a reminder to Liu Wenji, prompting him to reflect and plan more comprehensively and prudently. Therefore, upon arriving at the Youzhou Traveling Palace, Liu Wenji overturned all his scheduled arrangements — the court assembly was cancelled, and he refused to see any of the civil and military officials of the three circuits of the Northern and Southern Yan Mountains and Liaodong who had long been waiting. Liu Wenji went straight into the traveling palace, shut himself away in solitude, and studied a map of the northeast carefully...

Now that things had come to this, how to respond and resolve the matter became the top priority, and Liu Wenji had to consider it thoroughly and clearly. Of course, as the Emperor of the empire, Liu Wenji was not about to be intimidated by mere Andong or an aged King of Andong — this confidence and spirit he still possessed.

However, as an emperor renowned for prudence and strategic acumen, he also had to consider more possibilities and consequences. To be fair, a direct clash between the central government and Andong — fighting a chaotic, thorough battle — might be a way to "cure the root."

Yet, setting aside military concerns, the adverse political repercussions and even backlash would not be something the empire or Liu Wenji could easily bear. There was one point that Andong's upper echelons had long maintained: the state of Andong had been personally enfeoffed by Shizu — how could it be lightly destroyed?

If Andong rebelled and turned its back on the ancestral temple and the court, that would be an opportunity to seize the moral high ground, but this touched upon another issue Liu Wenji cared about. The imperial vassal tribute system had only been stable for a few years; the central government and the various states were just beginning to grow familiar with the new relationship of exchange. As one of the major achievements of Liu Wenji's Jianlong era, how could he bear to destroy it?

And if it truly came to that step, even if Andong were eliminated, one could imagine how severely fratricidal conflict would damage imperial authority. At the same time, regardless of the cause or who was right or wrong, the central court and the various enfeoffed states would inevitably drift further apart. Liu Wenji dared not bear the crime of destroying the imperial enfeoffment system that Shizu and Taizong had established and consolidated...

In the Youzhou Traveling Palace, Liu Wenji thought for an entire night — thinking much, thinking chaotically, thinking far ahead — until the next day, when, amid the uncertainty of the accompanying and local ministers, he began receiving officials and handling affairs normally again.

Regarding matters of the state of Andong, Liu Wenji received four people in total. The first was Zeng Hui, the Administration Commissioner of Liaodong, from whom he personally heard detailed accounts of all aspects of the Liaodong–Andong situation. For this elder minister who was not exactly a trusted confidant yet had quietly governed Liaodong for the court, Liu Wenji showed respect and listened to his report with exceptional care.

The second was Zhang Jian, the Minister of War, known for his insight and strategy. Of course, there was much that was left implicit in their conversation, but with Zhang Jian's intelligence, he grasped the Emperor's meaning. Zhang Jian's attitude was also very clear: the fruits of Andong's fifty years of development had been hard-won and should be cherished; the contradictions between the central government and Andong should be handled according to regulations, following the times and circumstances — unless the situation was truly irredeemable, it was best not to resort to armed conflict.

The third was Xiao Gong, the Director of the Palace Workshops accompanying the imperial tour — his most trusted confidential advisor. With Xiao Gong, Liu Wenji held nothing back, laying out the entire situation directly and asking for his opinion. On this matter, Xiao Gong actually held views similar to Zhang Jian's — both considered the greater good and the larger principles, and both struck at the political implications Liu Wenji was concerned about.

However, Xiao Gong also believed that one needed to watch Andong's further movements. If there were actual actions of defection and rebellion against the court, then one should act without hesitation or mercy, crushing them with the force of thunder. Before that, the court must make corresponding preparations, especially on the Liaodong circuit.

The fourth was Xiao Hui, the current Chief Commander of the Longqi Army. From Deputy Commander of the Inner Palace to the chief commander of the Longqi Army, one could see Liu Wenji's trust and regard for Xiao Hui — he was almost grooming him to become his banner in the military. One should know that the Longqi Army was the very army with which Emperor Shizu had risen to power, and its status as the "number one army under heaven" remained unshaken to this day.

With Xiao Hui, Liu Wenji asked purely military questions, and Xiao Hui's answer was very definitive: if Andong were to resist the whole realm with a single corner of territory, the court only needed to advance steadily, uphold the righteous path, and prevail through national strength and power — Andong would have no path but destruction.

But at the same time, Xiao Hui also rationally pointed out that given Andong's geographical advantages and popular support, pacifying it would require two hundred thousand troops and more than a year's time before it could be fully eliminated. Without such preparations, one must not rashly resort to arms.

It should be mentioned that among the ministers accompanying the northern tour, there was another pivotal figure — Cao Wei, the Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs. With Yang Yanlang advanced in years, the day-to-day affairs of the Bureau of Military Affairs had in fact already shifted to Cao Wei's hands.

Yet, on a matter as momentous as the state of Andong, Liu Wenji had not consulted him at the first opportunity. One could imagine how inadequate his preparations were regarding the Andong question, especially in the face of an increasingly complex and thorny situation.

However, Liu Wenji was not alone after all. With that cadre of civil and military officials offering counsel, he could face the Andong situation with more composure — at the very least, having set aside his arrogant and reckless heart, he could make fewer mistakes.

On the third day after arriving in Youzhou, Liu Wenji issued another edict, citing the barbarian unrest in Liaodong, ordering all Liaodong forces to go on alert, sealing the passes and blocking the roads to guard against bandit disturbances. At the same time, he ordered Xiao Hui to lead more than thirteen thousand troops of the Longqi Army, the entire force marching east toward Liaoyang.

Under the Emperor's personal direction, the Youzhou Traveling Palace gradually became "field headquarters." Liu Wenji even established a decision-making body dedicated to affairs of the northeastern borders, based on the accompanying ministers and the high officials of the three Yan–Liao circuits — this could also be seen as a precursor to military mobilization of the three circuits.

From the bottom of his heart, Liu Wenji did not want to break with Andong, but if Liu Wenyuan failed to know his place and continued to treat the court with that crude, arrogant attitude — or even initiated military confrontation — then he would absolutely not tolerate it.

Everything still depended on Liu Wenyuan's final choice — whether he would rein in at the brink. But before that, the court's preparations could not be lacking in the slightest, and they had to be accelerated — this was also to fill the pit dug by earlier arrogance...

On the fifth day, another memorial from the King of Andong, Liu Wenyuan, arrived in Youzhou, and this time it was far more "normal" — the wording, phrasing, tone, and attitude all carried the deference and respect of a vassal. That tiger Liu Wenyuan had finally sheathed all his arrogance and bared fangs.

But in that memorial, Liu Wenji sensed a murderous intent of overwhelming proportions — the flavor of iron horses and golden spears leapt off the page. Liu Wenyuan likewise petitioned the Emperor, stating that the Wanyan Jurchen harbored ulterior motives, secretly nurtured treacherous ambitions, turned against the court, and killed and plundered the people. He had already dispatched troops to besiege and suppress them, and hoped the court would strictly control the northern border of Liaodong, cooperate in pacifying the rebellion, and prevent the rebels from slipping through the net.

Given the Andong royal court's control over the state, someone like Wanyan Shilu — even if he knew how to endure — could not have been entirely oblivious in his heart. When that disloyal heart turned into disloyal action, Andong's thunderous punitive measures followed close behind. For a sovereign, the most hated things are deception and betrayal, and Wanyan Shilu had committed both offenses against Liu Wenyuan.

And with Liu Wenyuan's pride, how could he tolerate it? Being targeted and suppressed by the court was one thing, but you — a mere Wanyan tribe — actually had the audacity to try to fish for advantage between the court and Andong? Do you truly think this old man is easy to bully?

By the time Liu Wenyuan's memorial was presented in Youzhou, the King of Andong, Liu Wenyuan, had already donned his armor anew, personally leading an army of thirty thousand straight for the Wanyan tribe's lair: Wanyan City. He swiftly completed the purge of surrounding Wanyan affiliates and laid siege to the city, awaiting the opportune moment.

And Wanyan Shilu, who had been anxious all along, was immediately put on the spot. The court response he had hoped for never came — instead, the King of Andong's great army arrived. And no matter what, at this point, Wanyan Shilu had no choice but to go down this road to the very end.

On one hand, he sent envoys before the siege closed in to rush to Youzhou to plead for help and lodge complaints against Andong; on the other, he urgently ordered the tribal elite led by his uncle Xielihu, who were plundering in Huanglong Prefecture, to turn back and rescue him. At the same time, he organized the troops in Wanyan City to hold out and resist stubbornly.

As for Emperor Liu Wenji's impression of the Wanyan tribe, it carried a trace of contempt — he sneered at their overestimation of their own abilities. With Liu Wenji's shrewdness, even if he could not see the full extent of Wanyan Shilu's scheming, he could always glimpse a fragment. Precisely for this reason, when he laid Liu Wenyuan's and Wanyan Shilu's memorials side by side on the imperial desk for comparison, Liu Wenji developed a mood of watching a show, and for the time being made no further moves.

And so, in the deep autumn of the sixth year of Jianlong, the northeast witnessed the largest-scale war in thirty years — regarded by the state of Andong as cleaning house, and deemed by the court as internal unrest in Andong.

The duration was not short — from the eighth month of the sixth year all the way to the third month of the seventh year — ending with the fall of Wanyan City and the execution of Wanyan Shilu. For Andong, this was a drastic upheaval; no one could have imagined that a small Wanyan City and a mere Wanyan tribe could pin down a hundred thousand of Liu Wenyuan's troops and civilians beneath their walls.

Moreover, from the Wanyan tribe's rebellion gradually brewed a barbarian uprising that spread across the entire Yalu River basin. As for the former, Wanyan Shilu led his followers in stubborn resistance, holding the city and refusing to surrender. Of course, Wanyan Shilu's personal prestige and command played no small role, but the more important reason lay in the cover of Andong's long, cold climate.

As for the latter, it originated from that core force of Wanyan tribesmen commanded by Wanyan Xielihu. Although they were ambushed by Andong forces on their way back to Wanyan City, they used their cavalry advantage to flee into the mountains and forests. Thereafter, Xielihu led the remnants in guerrilla warfare against Andong's official forces — harassing Andong's prefectures and counties while continuously inciting other Jurchen tribes to resist, in order to share the pressure on the Wanyan tribe.

And Wanyan Xielihu actually achieved results. Under Liu Wenyuan's rule, many barbarian tribes in Andong harbored varying degrees of resentment, and when Wanyan City proved difficult to take after prolonged siege, that resentment was channeled and released...

This was the greatest chaos and challenge the state of Andong had faced since its founding. Of course, as long as the court did not step in to tilt the scales, mere barbarians could hardly truly shake Andong's rule — otherwise, one would be underestimating the decades of pioneering by Andong's soldiers and civilians, and underestimating the Andong nobility's grip on the state.

In the face of absolute strength, the quelling of the barbarian unrest was a foregone conclusion — especially when Andong's upper nobility all mobilized, concentrated their forces, and cooperated with Liu Wenyuan in exterminating the Jurchen tribes. What they were defending was not just Liu Wenyuan, but their own ruling-class status.

However, even so, such a disturbance still had a significant impact on the state of Andong. On the negative side, national strength suffered great losses — military and civilian resources were heavily depleted, and the production and living order of the Yalu River basin, the core ruling region, was severely disrupted. Beneath the walls of Wanyan City, several thousand troops were lost, including no small number of Andong's elite.

But where there is harm, there must also be benefit! In the short term, after undergoing such a upheaval, Andong dispelled much of the court's wariness. One should know that at the beginning of the internal unrest, the court's troops on the Liaodong border had been on alert and defensive, appearing ready to march north at any moment — especially after Xiao Hui led his forces north and took up positions in Tongzhou and Huanglong Prefecture.

But in the later period, the latent momentum relaxed. On the contrary, the Liaodong forces began helping to strike at the roving barbarian bandits, maintaining border order, and taking in Andong civilians who had fled due to the war.

And from a long-term perspective, the conservative and autonomous forces of the Jurchen tribes represented by the Wanyan tribe suffered an unprecedented blow in this upheaval. Especially the Wanyan tribe — their old nobles and chieftains were nearly wiped out entirely, and the survivors were all reduced to slavery, laboring in the ice and snow to atone for their crimes.

Accompanying this was the release and easing of thirty years of ethnic and class contradictions in Andong. Killing and death always make people calm, make them cherish the beauty of stability and peace... And the deeper assimilation process of Andong over the barbarian tribes under its rule also began from this point — the number of non-Han registered common households doubled within the following ten years.

Of course, after pacifying the barbarian unrest, the matter of the state of Andong — or rather, the matter of the King of Andong, Liu Wenyuan — was not yet over. The court still stood before him as a difficult hurdle.

The easing of relations between the two sides began with a series of conciliatory memorials from Liu Wenyuan during the suppression of the rebellion, and officially returned to normal when Liu Wenji's imperial carriage left Youzhou and headed west to Taiyuan for inspection.

In the summer of the seventh year of Jianlong, after handling internal affairs, Liu Wenyuan personally led the Andong envoy mission south to Luoyang for an audience. In addition to lavish tribute gifts and the severed heads of the rebel tribal leaders, the party also included more than twenty criminals in prison carts — Andong officials who had engaged in the human trafficking trade.

Taking this step demonstrated Liu Wenyuan's complete submission, though one could imagine how agonizing it was for someone so proud and strong-willed to make such a decision.

To this, Emperor Liu Wenji responded with magnanimous tolerance...