Chapter 262: Settling Accounts After the Autumn Harvest

With Liu Chengyou keeping watch, the government acted diligently to reassure the people, and Yongji City quickly emerged from the shadow of war. With grain in hand and the ample reserves Li Shouzhen had left in the granaries, all the post-war recovery efforts could proceed smoothly.

After a simple cleanup, though the wounds remained, the city took on a fresh look. Martial law was relaxed in an orderly fashion, and by decree of the Son of Heaven, the city's households went about preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival as usual, the atmosphere gradually turning harmonious.

Of course, the tens of thousands of cavalry and infantry still camped outside the city, along with the not-yet-dismantled, intricately interconnected camp fortifications, constantly reminded all of the brief but bloody war that had just passed. Thus, both inside and outside the city, order prevailed, and no monsters or demons dared leap out to cause trouble.

In the hall, Liu Chengyou held a roster in his hand, reading it while listening to Hu Yanke's report on the army's situation over the past few days. What Liu Chengyou was reading was the compilation of meritorious personnel submitted by the various armies, gathered by Bai Wenke and Li Hongjian.

He lightly tossed the roster onto the table. From the list, one could see that his maternal uncle's selfishness had not been restrained in the slightest.

"Make a note: send the roster to the Bureau of Military Affairs. After the army returns, the Bureau of Military Affairs will verify the merits of the officers and men of the various armies, and then carry out military rank adjustments and promotions!" Liu Chengyou said.

"Yes!" an attendant official responded.

"How is army morale?" Liu Chengyou asked Hu Yanke, who had finished his report.

Hu Yanke immediately replied: "Your Majesty's rewards have already been distributed to the various armies. The officers and men are overjoyed, their spirits high, and they cherish Your Majesty's grace and virtue in their hearts."

Liu Chengyou nodded, opened his mouth as if to speak, then glanced aside and stopped himself. The rewards he had bestowed were basically allocated down to the various armies, after which the army commanders distributed them according to merit. This time he had sent some army supervisors to oversee the matter, but even so, there were still many officers who withheld rewards for their own benefit, from top to bottom, in great numbers.

Originally Liu Chengyou had wanted to ask about this matter, but after reflection, he let it go. He already had a fairly good understanding of the situation. Army morale was stable and fighting spirit high, indicating no major problems had arisen—or perhaps the lower-ranking officers and soldiers had simply grown accustomed to this sort of practice.

Still, after this episode, quite a few more names were added to Liu Chengyou's little notebook. At the same time, he made up his mind: the authority to approve or reject rewards had to be pulled back upward. In the future, all rewards—even if not distributed to individuals—should at least reach the battalion or company level. Even if it was more troublesome, it would be worth it.

"Yang Ye, what about your side?" He looked up at Yang Ye.

Upon being asked, Yang Ye immediately reported: "The 2,946 soldiers selected have been fully organized, divided into three armies and six battalions. Your Majesty may inspect them in person at any time!"

"Good." Liu Chengyou directly ordered: "Issue a decree to all prefectures and garrisons to relocate the families of these soldiers to the Eastern Capital. The court must also make proper arrangements for their protection and settlement, and order the prefectures and counties along the way to provide support."

"Yes!"

It was when sending the officers and men of the various prefectures west of the Pass back to their home garrisons that Liu Chengyou ordered Yang Ye to select the sturdy and valiant among them to fill the ranks of the imperial army. This was an attempt to "take their elite troops" from the regional garrisons, and it proceeded very smoothly. On this western campaign, Liu Chengyou was determined to squeeze something out of the military governors of the west...

As for Yang Ye, it was already decided: he would give up his post with the Tong'an Army and follow Liu Chengyou back to the Eastern Capital to command troops. He had rendered great merit in suppressing the rebellion, and after breaching the city, he had cut down Wang Jixun, the "Number One Valiant General of Hezhong," without even giving him a chance to surrender—he would surely be promoted again. In the coming days, Liu Chengyou planned major moves within the imperial army and needed reliable, capable men.

As for Tong Pass, it would be succeeded by Wang Yu, the former Shanzhou prison supervisor and field headquarters trench commissioner. Of course, with Li Shouzhen pacified, the garrison strength would also be reduced to one thousand.

"Your Majesty, the autumn harvest in the counties under Hezhong Prefecture has already begun. According to investigation, the officials of each county and town are all diligently attending to the matter..." Having finished with military affairs, Feng Dao turned to civil matters and reported at the appropriate moment.

This was the deterrent effect of the Son of Heaven's presence. Under the current circumstances, the officials of Hezhong Prefecture would naturally exert their utmost effort in carrying out the court's decrees.

"I still say the same thing: without grain, there is no stability. The court's governance begins with agriculture and sericulture. On this matter, the prefectures and commanderies must do a good job of supervision and encouragement!" Liu Chengyou ordered: "Additionally, transmit a decree to the Eastern Capital: the central government shall issue an edict to the realm, instructing all circuits, prefectures, and commanderies to exert their utmost in the autumn harvest!"

"Yes!"

Just past noon, after Liu Chengyou had taken a brief rest, he summoned Li Bai, Zhao Wang, and more than ten other Army Commanders along with senior officers accompanying the army for a military council. There was only one serious topic: how to deal with the officers and men who had violated laws and discipline during this campaign.

These soldiers were mainly divided into two categories. The first were the junior officers from the earlier Xiaodi Army assault who had cowered in fear of the enemy and fled the field, causing the Xiaodi Army's defeat and losses—headed by He Hui and Fan Aineng, with more than ten other mid- and low-ranking officers still in custody.

The second group were those who violated orders and discipline after the city was breached. Within the imperial army, dragons and snakes mingled together, the good mixed with the bad. Through continuous rectification, military discipline had improved greatly compared to the founding days of the state, but this campaign still exposed those deep-rooted problems ingrained in their bones.

Earlier, taking advantage of the city's fall, many officers and soldiers, following their old wartime habits, had burned, killed, looted, and harmed the people. Over a hundred officers and soldiers had been arrested by Han Tong and Li Chongju as examples.

Regarding how to deal with these people, some commanders led by Li Hongjian suggested lenient punishment—demotion and rank reduction would suffice. After all, the battle had been a great victory, the rebel bandits had been wiped out, and no serious consequences had resulted. Punishing too harshly might chill the hearts of other soldiers, and so on.

The other faction, led by Hu Yanke, Wang Yan, and others, advocated severe punishment to purify military governance and uphold military law. In their view, the crimes committed by He and Fan were unpardonable—the kind for which any soldier in the army, upon seeing them, could kill them on the spot. There was simply no room for mercy. As for those officers and soldiers who broke the law after breaching the city, given that the Son of Heaven had issued explicit orders beforehand, their bold violations were not merely breaches of military discipline but also a disregard for the Son of Heaven's majesty—likewise with no grounds for pardon.

There were also some who remained silent, taking a neutral stance. The rest were even simpler—they would follow the Son of Heaven's attitude.

As for Liu Chengyou, although he had summoned the generals and Army Commanders to discuss the matter, it was merely for show. No matter how heated the debate, it was useless—he had already made up his mind long ago. What gave him some comfort was that among the generals, there were still quite a few who understood reason...

While they were arguing until red in the face, Liu Chengyou rose and spoke: "Since ancient times, a strong army must be forged with iron military law. If military law is not established, even with bear-like warriors and a million troops, how could I use them? He and Fan are the greatest pests in the army. The law cannot be abandoned—they must be dealt with by strict punishment and severe law. By decree, execute them!"

"Yes!"

It could be said that this settled the matter with a single stroke. Once Liu Chengyou had spoken, Li Hongjian and the others dared not utter another word of exculpation.

Taking advantage of the sun at its height, Liu Chengyou issued the decree: He Hui, Fan Aineng, and over a hundred other officers and soldiers were beheaded at the camp gate. First dispensing the grace of rain and dew, then unleashing the might of thunder—Liu Chengyou's technique of wielding both grace and authority was becoming ever more practiced.

While rectifying the imperial army, Liu Chengyou also issued a decree: of the captured Hezhong rebel troops, all officers were to be examined for good and bad, distinguished for loyalty and treachery, and all who bore guilt were to be executed.

Earlier, Liu Chengyou had promised that only the chief culprits and the most vicious would be executed, and the rest would not be pursued. Thus Liu Chengyou pardoned them all of the crime of rebellion, but what he now investigated was their other crimes of wrongdoing.

In the final analysis, Liu Chengyou was still settling accounts with the rebel army after the autumn harvest—he had merely changed the wording. The ordinary soldiers at the bottom could be let go, but those officers with military rank still had to serve as a warning to the realm.