Chapter 298: Consulted on Border Affairs

An exchange with Chen Tuan left Liu Chengyou rather drained, though the scene appeared relaxed and cordial. As for the old Daoist Chen Tuan, Liu Chengyou's original plan had been to keep him at court as an official, appoint him as an attendant, or even directly name him State Preceptor, so as to achieve the aim of honoring the faith and promoting its teachings.

However, after a full exchange, listening to his words and observing his demeanor, Liu Chengyou had more or less sounded him out—this old Daoist was truly indifferent to fame and fortune, and so he set aside that notion. He was merely a bit disappointed. Word had it that even at fifty or sixty years of age, the man had still sat the imperial examinations, only to fail; only afterward had he wholly given himself to mountains and waters, cultivating the Dao and writing scriptures.

Still, generous treatment remained unavoidable, and Liu Chengyou intended to give things a push, building up a wave of "Sleeping Immortal" renown among the people.

"Your Majesty, Hanlin Bachelor Wang Qiwu has arrived with Zhe Congruan, Military Governor of Yong'an Army, and they await an audience outside the hall."

"Summon them!"

As for receiving Zhe Congruan, Liu Chengyou's interest was far higher than it had been for the old Daoist—after all, the man was a military governor holding command of troops, and his bearing was far more dignified and grave.

"Back in Jinyang, I already heard of Lord Zhe's name; now that I see your countenance in person, it is indeed as the saying goes—reputation well earned!" After the formal greetings, Liu Chengyou complimented him while sizing up Zhe Congruan's warm and deferential bearing.

"Your Majesty bears the visage of a heavenly being; your subject is filled with admiration and respect." The old general did Liu Chengyou the courtesy.

"Has Minister Zhe rested well at the guest hostel? Are you satisfied? Have the attendants below given you any cause for dissatisfaction in their reception?" Seating him and ordering tea to be served, Liu Chengyou made casual pleasantries.

Zhe Congruan replied: "All is most satisfactory!"

"I hear Minister Zhe has not yet established a separate residence in the Eastern Capital!" Liu Chengyou asked in a tone of certainty.

Zhe Congruan answered instinctively: "That is so!"

Immediately after, Liu Chengyou instructed Zhang Dejun, who was attending at his side: "Go, inform the Emperor's Maternal Uncle (Li Ye), and have him find a residence within the inner city to serve as Minister Zhe's lodging!"

"Yes!" The palace eunuch answered crisply and departed at once.

Facing this sudden bestowal, Zhe Congruan showed surprise, but quickly recovered and hurriedly bowed: "I thank Your Majesty."

There was nothing to decline—after all, it was a gift from the emperor, and besides, he had already intended to establish a residence; this would save him a sum of money and goods. Yet in just these few brief exchanges, Zhe Congruan could directly feel the Son of Heaven's forceful style of doing things.

"Since the former Tang, Minister Zhe has held Fuzhou for over twenty years. Shi Jingtang called the Khitan 'father' and ceded territory, causing our prefectures and counties beyond the northern frontier to fall into barbarian hands. Fuzhou, suspended precariously at the border, facing the Khitan threat directly, has preserved the realm's territory without loss and kept the people safe in their homes—all of this is Minister Zhe's merit." Liu Chengyou's tone was laden with feeling as he raised his cup of tea: "The hardships and trials along the way, I feel as if they were my own. Let me use tea in place of wine and toast you, Minister Zhe!"

With Liu Chengyou directly affirming his achievements at Fuzhou, Zhe Congruan made no show of false modesty—he raised his cup and responded.

Taking a sip of the imperial tea from the palace, Zhe Congruan had no mind to savor any particular quality of its flavor, and said with emotion: "That Fuzhou was preserved from loss—how could it be the merit of one man alone? There were also countless soldiers and civilians who joined strength to defend their homeland!"

"A snake cannot move without a head, and troops cannot act without a general. Had it not been for Minister Zhe, the lands of Fu and Lin would have been lost long ago!"

After once again emphasizing Zhe Congruan's importance in defending the Fuzhou frontier, Liu Chengyou then consulted him on the military and administrative affairs of the prefecture: "May I ask, under the Yong'an Army, how many people do you have now, and how many soldiers?"

Glancing briefly at Liu Chengyou, seeming somewhat hesitant, but after a moment's deliberation, Zhe Congruan said: "Fuzhou's land is barren and its people poor; it lies at the border's edge and has suffered repeated Khitan incursions. Through my painstaking management and protection, I have gained no more than eleven thousand three hundred some households, with a population near eighty thousand. The Yong'an Army commands yabing guards, garrison troops, and militia, totaling over five thousand soldiers—one might say every citizen is a soldier—of which the cavalry numbers one thousand two hundred..."

Hearing this, such a small population and such a small force, compared with over twenty years of management, was truly meager. Subconsciously, Liu Chengyou found it hard to believe, but considering the years of warfare and Fuzhou's environment, then comparing it with the populations of other prefectures and counties he knew, he felt it plausible.

"Minister Zhe truly has not had it easy!" he sighed.

On reflection, it seemed that a poor and remote place like Fuzhou, being able to hold its territory and nurture a population of eighty thousand, was indeed no small feat. He estimated that a large portion of those people had come drawn by Zhe Congruan's fearsome reputation.

Finding him candid, Liu Chengyou's favorable impression grew. Because he had previously asked the same question of the various military governors who had come to the capital earlier. In the result, aside from Li Yin, Military Governor of Beizhou, and Wang Jing, Military Governor of Cangzhou, the rest basically could not answer. Some did not know their people, some did not know their administration, and some were not even clear on how many troops they had below them.

For example, Liu Chengyou's old retainer, Zhang Yanwei, Military Governor of Chengde Army, who had aided greatly in the process of commanding troops during his days before the dragon soared—one could say he knew nothing when asked three questions. Not that he was completely ignorant, but asking him to give exact figures was taxing him.

Yet Zhang Yanwei, garrisoning Hengzhou for a year and a half, had managed to keep the territory barely at peace without major losses, and had responded appropriately to the previous Khitan incursion. This was only because the man knew his own limits and had beside him Li Gu, whom Liu Chengyou had promoted to Administrative Assistant of the circuit, along with various capable officers to support him. Li Gu—now there was a man of chancellor caliber, fully exercising his talents in central Hebei.

"Minister Zhe faces the Khitan directly at Fuzhou—how stand the border defenses at present?" Liu Chengyou asked further.

On this, Zhe Congruan saw no need for concealment whatsoever, and spoke to Liu Chengyou with great frankness: "What has allowed me to preserve Fuzhou, besides the united hearts of the soldiers and people under my governance, is largely reliance on the natural defenses of the Yellow River and the Great Wall. Over these years, I have diligently maintained the walls and watchtowers and extensively built garrison strongholds—the Khitan cannot take it easily."

Seeing Zhe Congruan so confident, Liu Chengyou clapped his hands and said: "Minister Zhe's words carry such bold spirit—I can rest assured on behalf of Fuzhou's soldiers and people."

"Have the Khitan north of the prefecture made any unusual moves?" Liu Chengyou asked again.

"In earlier years, the Khitan were arrogant and hard to restrain; every autumn when the skies ran high, they would ride south to plunder. But since last year, they have reined themselves in considerably. I have also sent spies to scout the Yun and Shuo regions, and their troops have largely pulled back. In my view, this is a manifestation of the Khitan's national strength declining after suffering heavy setbacks in the Central Plains—especially the blow Your Majesty dealt them at the Battle of Luancheng—compounded by the fact that the Bingzhou region's high mountains and treacherous terrain are unfavorable to Khitan cavalry operations. Hence the present state of affairs..." Zhe Congruan laid out his thoughts, and, bringing up old matters, paid Liu Chengyou a compliment.

Liu Chengyou thought seriously, finding his words reasonable, and nodded continuously.

Then, looking at him with bright, piercing eyes: "The various prefectures of Yanyun—Shi Jingtang gifted them to the Khitan. Lands of our ancestors—how could they be lightly abandoned? One day I shall surely retake them. Would Minister Zhe be willing to aid me?"

At these words, Zhe Congruan's brows could not help but knit. Such grand talk—Shi Chonggui had also spoken thus back then, and he had even been ordered north to attack Shuozhou.

The hesitation in his heart did not affect his outward declaration. Zhe Congruan said solemnly: "Your subject has fought a lifetime of wars against the Khitan—one could say our enmity is as deep as the sea. Should Your Majesty campaign north, I will surely lead Fuzhou's soldiers and people to support this great undertaking."

Liu Chengyou smiled and waved his hand: "However, I must trouble Minister Zhe to wait a good many years..."

From Liu Chengyou's face, Zhe Congruan could clearly discern a hint of deep-laid cunning. But by this, his estimation of the Son of Heaven rose another notch.

"Both in the Hetao region, Fu and Lin border the Dingnan Army. What views does Minister Zhe hold regarding the Dingnan Army?" Liu Chengyou's mind turned again to the Xia and Sui region.

At this question, Zhe Congruan's expression turned grave. Without a moment's hesitation, he said to Liu Chengyou with great solemnity: "I beg Your Majesty to be most vigilant of them..."

"..."

Having talked freely with Zhe Congruan on border affairs for a full half hour, Liu Chengyou was naturally full of energy and still unsatisfied—had he not seen the old general's weariness barely held in check, he would not have let him go.

As for Zhe Congruan, after taking his leave and exiting the hall, he was filled with many reflections. Hearing about something a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once—through this exchange with Liu Chengyou, his impression of this young Son of Heaven had grown far deeper.

Wise, brilliant, decisive, forceful, ambitious, rich in strategy, possessed of far-reaching vision...

In short, one must not lightly offend him.

Thereby, he further solidified his stance and gained somewhat more confidence in this Great Han court. Just for this meeting today, this trip to the capital had not been in vain. In truth, only through direct personal contact could a military governor like himself truly settle his heart.