Chapter 265: The Military Governors of Guanyou

In the days leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, Liu Chengyou was clearly even busier. After all, before the city fell and the rebellion was suppressed, he basically only needed to worry about how to defeat the enemy. Now that the city had fallen and the rebels were destroyed, the aftermath affairs consumed a great deal of Liu Chengyou's energy.

Pacifying the people, rewarding the troops, dealing with rebels and lawbreakers, tightening military discipline, rectifying the Buddhist temples, urging the autumn harvest—even memorials from the Eastern Capital were arriving more frequently...

A series of military and administrative matters left Liu Chengyou overwhelmed, weary in both body and mind. Of course, he had also grown accustomed to it; it had been a long time since he had allowed himself any relaxation.

On the morning of the fourteenth, he received the local elders and prominent figures of Hezhong to demonstrate his "closeness to the people." In the afternoon, he delivered a mobilization speech on encouraging agriculture and organizing efforts to the officials of Hezhong, Xie, Jiang, Hua, and the other prefectures under his governance who had responded to the summons, and for the first time formally proposed the court's governing policy of "lenient punishments and simplified administration." Furthermore, he had several county magistrates and garrison commanders notorious for their misdeeds in the localities arrested and executed on the spot to serve as a deterrent.

In the evening, within the Hezhong prefectural office, Liu Chengyou hosted a small banquet for the various military governors of Guanyou who had hurried hundreds of li in response to his summons.

Earlier, after the city had fallen, Liu Chengyou had sent envoys on swift horses to summon the governors to a meeting, wishing to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together. The time was tight, but with the Son of Heaven present in Hezhong, backed by the momentum of suppressing the rebellion and destroying the rebels, none dared refuse.

In fact, more than half of the Guanyou governors were already in Hezhong—Jingzhao, Shan, Hua, Tong, Yao, and Bin, plus Wang Yan. Those Liu Chengyou had truly summoned were Wang Jun of Fengxiang, Shi Kuangyi of Jingyuan, Zhang Yanchao of Fuzhou, and Gao Yunquan of Yanzhou—these four military commands that had not participated in the suppression of the rebellion.

Though the distances varied, a few hundred li was enough for them to arrive. However, Gao Yunquan, the farthest away, had rushed day and night from Yanzhou to reach Hezhong, while Wang Jun of Fengxiang had yet to arrive, dawdling along the way.

In the hall, lamps blazed brightly, with ruler and ministers in attendance. At the feast, cups crossed and goblets clinked as toasts were exchanged, the atmosphere one of harmony.

"I have put you all to trouble, traveling over hundreds of li of mountains and rivers to come pay homage—this is my fault. I offer this cup to apologize to you three." Liu Chengyou's facial muscles rarely softened as they did now, his tone carrying a hint of apology as he spoke to Shi Kuangyi, Zhang Yanchao, and Gao Yunquan.

"When Your Majesty ascended the throne and inherited the enterprise, we ministers were unable to go to the capital to pay our respects—a deep regret. This time, being able to kowtow before Your Majesty and gaze upon your sacred countenance has resolved the admiration in my heart..." Shi Kuangyi, Military Governor of Zhangyi, was generous in giving Liu Chengyou face, responding with these words.

Though Liu Chengyou knew Shi Kuangyi was flattering him, he still felt greatly pleased in his heart. Since the founding of the state, Shi Kuangyi had harbored tremendous "goodwill" toward the Liu family—sending tribute, pledging loyalty, and urging Liu Zhiyuan to take the throne. Whatever his original intentions may have been, as the Great Han established its dominance over the Central Plains and gradually solidified its hold on the realm, Shi Kuangyi's reputation as a loyal minister to the state had become increasingly well-earned, and he had always been deferential to the court. His tribute payments had never been lacking, nor had he delayed when ordered to dispatch troops.

Therefore, even though this was Liu Chengyou's first meeting with Shi Kuangyi, given his past conduct, he held him in high regard. With such a figure among the military governors, Liu Chengyou could not help but value and commend him.

"The region west of the mountains has long been unsettled, with enemy states and foreign tribes watching from the side. The mountain passes and roads are distant, and you all bear the heavy responsibility of guarding the borders and protecting the people—it is understandable that you cannot easily leave your posts." Liu Chengyou said these perfunctory words.

Beside Shi Kuangyi sat an elderly man with a gaunt, haggard face, his expression somber and seemingly concealing a hint of cunning malice—the look of someone not to be trifled with. Taking a small sip of wine, he revealed a smile that was not particularly warm: "Your Majesty is magnanimous and broad-minded, showing such consideration for your subjects—we are truly moved with admiration."

The speaker was none other than Zhang Yanchao, Military Governor of Baoda in Fuzhou. To briefly introduce this man: he had been a founding general of the Later Tang, an adopted son of Emperor Mingzong Li Siyuan of the Later Tang, and had once served Emperor Zhuangzong Li Cunxu as a cavalry officer. In his early years he had clashed with Shi Jingtang, and after the Later Jin was established, he had directly surrendered to the Khitan and been appointed Military Governor of Yunzhou.

When the Khitan marched south to destroy the Later Jin, he led his troops on campaign, wreaking havoc in Hebei and earning considerable "merit." After Yelu Deguang entered Bian, he was appointed Military Governor of Jinchang Army (now Yongxing Army). When Liu Zhiyuan advanced into the Central Plains and saw that the Khitan's fortunes were turning, he sent a flying memorial pledging his allegiance, and was subsequently transferred to Fuzhou, where he had remained ever since.

This man was generally gloomy and sullen, harsh and ungenerous toward his subordinates, possessed of some crude strength and courage, but of ordinary ability...

From his résumé, Liu Chengyou naturally held this man in contempt, even felt some disgust toward him, because he seemed to see a bit of his own "shadow" in this Zhang Yanchao.

Liu Chengyou's ears simply filtered out what he said—even his flattery came with an air of self-importance. But on the surface, he still had to put on a generous demeanor and offer a few words of encouragement.

His gaze shifted away from Zhang Yanchao, fixing on Gao Yunquan, Military Governor of Yanzhou. Gao Yunquan was in the prime of his life, vigorous and strong, with rough, bold features and crude manners—drinking wine in great gulps and eating meat in great chunks. Yet from his eyes, a gleam of shrewdness would occasionally flash.

Unlike the others, Gao Yunquan in Yanzhou was a local power, a dominant force within the prefecture. His grandfather had served as Military Governor of Yanzhou during the transition between the Liang and Tang dynasties. Though the family had since declined, the Gao clan had always maintained some renown in Yanzhou. And Gao Yunquan himself had risen to prominence by seizing the opportunity when the Khitan destroyed the Later Jin.

At that time, the Military Governor of Yanzhou was Zhou Mi. On the surface, what happened was this: the prefectural troops mutinied and attacked Zhou Mi but could not overcome him. The mutinous soldiers had no leader, and none dared to take the role, until someone shouted, "Let us take the young lord of Lady Gao's western residence as our leader!" Then, in a muddled fashion, he received the crowd's support and contended with Zhou Mi, fighting back and forth for several days. It happened that Liu Zhiyuan had just proclaimed himself emperor, and his envoys came west to pacify Hexi. Gao Yunquan reacted with lightning speed, immediately sending an envoy from Yanzhou to present a memorial of submission to Taiyuan. Before the situation in the Central Plains was even settled, Zhou Mi abandoned the city and fled, and the Lady Gao thus took possession of Yanzhou.

The upheaval in Yanzhou last year could not possibly have been as simple and accidental as it appeared on the surface; the story behind it must have been quite intriguing. But looking at the whole affair from beginning to end, this Gao Yunquan was clearly no simple man—his scheming, his methods, and his foresight were all considerable. Anyone who underestimated him because of his crude behavior would definitely suffer for it.

Feeling Liu Chengyou's gaze upon him, Gao Yunquan set down his drained wine cup and, with complete disregard for appearances, wiped the grease from his mouth with his sleeve, chuckling as he said: "Your Majesty is sagacious. The wine is good to drink, and the meat is good to eat!"

Gazing at Gao Yunquan with a meaningful look, Liu Chengyou seemed to appreciate his open, unpretentious nature, and said: "This wine and meat were all taken from the stores of Hezhong Prefecture—you may all enjoy them to your hearts' content..."

The welcome banquet lasted a little over an hour, not too long—its main purpose being for Liu Chengyou to build rapport with the three governors while also displaying his imperial majesty and presence.

Likewise, by the end of the banquet, Liu Chengyou had essentially determined his attitude toward the three governors. Shi Kuangyi needed no further consideration—simply the usual reassurance and rewards would suffice. As for Zhang Yanchao, this man was nowhere near submissive, let alone loyal—he was the type who needed to be suppressed.

As for Gao Yunquan, this man was somewhat interesting. Unlike the other governors, his roots in Yanzhou ran deep; even though he had already become a power unto himself, he could not be easily moved.

Liu Chengyou placed great importance on Yanzhou—setting aside everything else, just the fierce-fire oil within its borders was enough to demand his attention. On another front, according to reports, Gao Yunquan was at odds with Li Yiyin of Xiazhou, and the two factions were in constant friction, clashing repeatedly.

Last year, they had nearly come to blows, and it had taken Liu Zhiyuan sending envoys to mediate. This time, when Liu Chengyou was suppressing the rebellion in Hezhong, Gao Yunquan had also sent men to report that Li Yiyin was making suspicious moves, requesting that Liu Chengyou provide reinforcements and supplies, and offering to hold back the Tangut for the court...

Considering this relationship, Gao Yunquan in Yanzhou still served some purpose, at least in containing Xiazhou. The Tangut in the northwest had been developing peacefully for decades, their power steadily growing. Nominally they submitted to the Central Plains, but in truth they had long become a power unto themselves—a separatist force in their own right.

If left unaddressed, they would surely become a major threat in the future. This required no elaborate deduction—one only needed to think of the bitter, bloody history of the Northern Song's wars with Western Xia in the official histories to understand. In Liu Chengyou's plans and objectives, the Tangut of the northwest were also a target for elimination.

Of course, a place as strategically important as Yanzhou could not be allowed to remain in the Lady Gao's grip for too long. But this would need to be pursued gradually; in the short term, Liu Chengyou's focus would not be directed there. Rather, he needed to do his utmost to ensure stability in the northwest.

The primary and secondary contradictions, what was important and what was not—Liu Chengyou always had a clear picture in his mind.