Chapter 344: Wang Qiwu's Supplement

"As the saying goes, when prosperity reaches its peak, decline is inevitable. In my humble opinion, the false Tang is precisely in that period of turning from prosperity to decline!" Wang Qiwu's tone was resolute and full of confidence.

Liu Chengyou played the straight man directly, waving his hand: "Let's hear it!"

"The wealth of the false Tang lies in its court, its bureaucrats, its meritorious nobles, its local generals and officials, its powerful gentry, and even its wealthy merchants. From the imperial relatives and nobles down to the high ministers, most have extensively established estates and lands, absorbing able-bodied commoners as estate tenants, laboring and supplying for their lavish enjoyment.

As for the livelihood of its ordinary common folk, though not exactly difficult, it can hardly be called prosperous either. The false Tang can maintain its prosperity because for many years it has faced no external threats and suffered little from the ravages of war. But once the calamity of war strikes, with urgent levies and heavy taxation, popular resentment is certain to follow. The so-called 'land to the tiller' is more like an illusion—the more landless people there are, the harder it becomes to preserve its current glory!"

Liu Chengyou suppressed the urge to twitch the corners of his mouth and said: "My minister is hinting at Us and the Great Han, is he not!"

"Your servant would not dare!" Wang Qiwu bowed, then continued:

"The Tang sovereign Li Jing has been on the throne for several years. Though he follows Li Bian's policies, in terms of governing skill and statecraft, he can hardly measure up to his father. He is merely of middling ability, clinging to old ways, knowing not how to adapt to the times and circumstances. His vision and foresight are confined to that corner of Jiangnan—he is not a man who can accomplish great things!

Since Li Bian's time, the false Tang has sheathed its sword and ceased warfare, vigorously developing culture and education, so that no place surpasses Jiangdong in the splendor of rites and refinement. Such governance, though helpful for stabilizing the people's hearts, in this chaotic age, neglecting to train the army and forge weapons is truly putting the cart before the horse—crippling one's own martial strength."

"The false Tang sovereign delights in song and dance and banquet gatherings. He often holds feasts at court, broadly inviting court officials to talk at length, discoursing on the realm through essays and verse. When we two entered Jinling, we were invited by the Tang sovereign to no fewer than six banquets!"

"Li Jing also loves luxury and delights in grand halls and spacious mansions. Observing the Tang palace, the newly built imperial gardens and palaces are too numerous to take in at a glance, and there are several more sites under active construction. The splendor of his court and the extravagance of its ornaments are beyond imagination."

"Occupying the fertile and choice lands of Jianghuai, with their 'celebrated scholar' airs, should they not enjoy themselves—must they tighten their belts and skimp like the rest of us?" Liu Chengyou finally spoke, sighing faintly, his tone as sour as if he had bitten into a lemon.

Interrupted by Liu Chengyou, Wang Qiwu took the chance to pause briefly, reorganize his words somewhat, and continued: "In the Jiangnan region, the veneration of Buddhism prevails, and the custom of revering the Buddha is deeply ingrained—from the sovereign on down, all are thus. As a result, Buddhist temples flourish within, quite resembling the scene of the Southern Dynasties' four hundred and eighty temples. And the false Tang court alone spends no small amount of money and grain merely on constructing temples. Moreover, many Buddhist temples are so lavish they rival palaces, and the lands and able-bodied tenants held by Jiangnan monks are no less than those of a regional magnate..."

When he spoke of Buddhist temples, the ministers could not help but cast their gazes toward Liu Chengyou, wanting to see the Emperor's reaction. Everyone present basically knew that the Son of Heaven "detested" the Buddhist faith, and his attitude grew more disgusted with each passing day.

Sure enough, a distinctly obvious trace of cold mockery showed at the corners of Liu Chengyou's mouth.

Wang Zhang, who had worn himself thin and gone gray-haired worrying over the Great Han's finances, could not help but say: "With such abundant money, grain, and tax revenue, they know not to nurture and educate the army and people, relieve disasters, or build water conservancy—instead they spend it on useless Buddhist temples, feeding and pampering those monks and devotees!"

After Wang Zhang's indignant words, Feng Dao also expressed his contempt for the matter. The atmosphere at court was changing under Liu Chengyou's influence—denouncing Buddhism had become a new political correctness.

"Minister Wang, continue!"

"Yes!"

At Liu Chengyou's signal, Wang Qiwu continued reporting what he had observed and pondered, growing ever more fluent.

"The false Tang's military strength numbers over a hundred thousand. Yet given its national power and population, if it exerted full effort, gathering three hundred thousand troops would not be impossible—one could call it formidable indeed. However, its troops are stationed in the southern lands, and with the local populace lacking in martial valor, even if their combat ability is not dismissed as weak and inferior, they surely cannot contend with the Great Han's elite soldiers.

Add to that their long period of peace, their prolonged absence from the battlefield, their dwindling ranks of generals—and they mostly employ civil officials to command troops. Those capable of leading armies to conquer states are only men of the likes of Chen Jue, Zha Wenhui, Feng Yanlu, and Bian Gao.

Four years ago, they sent troops to destroy Min. Though they broke that internally chaotic state, they lost the vital ground of Fuzhou and were routed by Wuyue with a single force joined by the remnants of the conquered state, suffering heavy losses in men and officers. Their combat power can thus be known!"

"As for their territory, the prefectures they hold were the foundation laid by Yang Wu in those years—thirty years with no gains whatsoever. The land of Min is but a tiny patch, yet even Liu Congxiao has carved out Zhangzhou and they cannot attack him, having no choice but to pacify him with offers of amnesty."

"And on this mission to Tang, what struck me most deeply was none other than the factional strife at their court. The struggle between the southern-crossing scholar-officials and the old Jiangnan ministers runs through the entire history of the false Tang state. When Li Bian was alive, he could still suppress it, but Li Jing lacks his ability and political skill.

In just a few years, the intensity of their factional strife has already reached the point of harming the state's foundations. For the sake of partisan private interests, they attack one another, even going so far as to forge imperial edicts and mobilize troops—and after a disastrous defeat, they still manage to keep their positions. Slightly demoted, they are then employed elsewhere, still serving as key ministers at home and abroad. The Tang sovereign cannot control them; on the contrary, he must rely on them.

Surveying all the ministers of the false Tang, those with true foresight and insight are only Song Qiqiu and Han Xizai—but they belong to two opposing factions, each checking the other. The rest are all overrated and mediocre. Your servant can assert with certainty that the false Tang's factional strife will greatly benefit our army when we march south!"

"Furthermore, the struggle over the false Tang's succession is also one of its afflictions. The Imperial Younger Brother (Heir) Li Jingsui is weak, pedantic, and timid, content to stand aloof from the world. But the false Yan Prince Li Hongji, young in years yet great in ambition, commands troops in the field at Runzhou. From what your servant has heard and observed, that Li Hongji is highly likely to stir up trouble within the palace walls..."

"..."

On this southern journey, Wang Qiwu had clearly looked with care, listened with care, and thought with care. Through his account, Liu Chengyou had obviously gained a much clearer understanding of the state he was about to conquer.

He showed Wang Qiwu an extremely kind smile, gestured for him to take his seat, and ordered tea to be refilled. Though no words of praise were spoken, everyone present could see his appreciation.

Tao Gu was the same—he sat to one side, drawing a deep breath, his heart somewhat constricted, feeling glum. What Wang Qiwu had seen, he had basically seen as well. Unfortunately, the opportunity to present it had not been given to him.

If only this old man had spoken first, he suddenly thought. But then, looking at the Son of Heaven and then at Wang Qiwu, the jealousy and resentment in his heart grew heavier.

Liu Chengyou was silent, digesting the reports of Tao Gu and Wang Qiwu thoroughly, before sighing softly: "The false Tang state, amid the shattering of its mountains and rivers, is not without merit as a literary paradise!"

"A pity that this is an age of great contention—only the strong have the qualification to establish a paradise of righteous governance!" Yang Bin said with a grave expression.

Feng Dao also spoke: "Its prosperity is like a castle in the air. Once our dynasty's heavenly army arrives, it will turn to bubbles—hardly worth mentioning!"

"No matter how wealthy its state, it is but meat in the tiger's mouth of the Great Han. In days to come, when the great army marches south, your servant is willing to break its state on Your Majesty's behalf, turning the false Tang's halls and pavilions into Your Majesty's traveling palaces!" Wang Jun rose and declared his view in a clear voice, with a hint of volunteering to lead troops—though it was far too early.

Guo Wei, probably the one who had listened most attentively besides Liu Chengyou, also sighed with emotion: "So wealthy, yet lacking the means and ability to protect it—it is fitting that it should be subdued by our dynasty!"

"..."

"Your Majesty, if we mobilize troops in days to come and march south, though we use elite soldiers to crush weak troops, we still must not be careless. Southern soldiers are no match for northern ones, yet the Jiangnan navy requires caution. The Jianghuai waterways run through the region, and though the water networks of Huainan are not as dense as Jiangnan's, they are still ground where a navy can operate. Our dynasty is deficient in naval forces—I beg Your Majesty to make preparations early!"

"A navy!" Liu Chengyou's brow furrowed. More money and grain again.

He looked toward Tao Gu and Wang Qiwu. Tao Gu spoke first this time: "Indeed, if there is one thing praiseworthy about the false Tang's military, it is probably its navy—numbering fully tens of thousands!"

"If Your Majesty plans to take Huainan, you should make thorough preparations!" Guo Wei cautioned.

Wang Qiwu followed up immediately: "On the journey north, we felt the southern climate—sweltering and hard to bear. Most of our dynasty's soldiers are northerners, unaccustomed to its water and soil. When the great army marches south and the troops mass together, we must guard against epidemics!"

"We need to train troops for the southern campaign early!" Guo Wei said gravely.

"For the dozen-plus prefectures north of the river, intelligence on terrain, roads, cities, and troop dispositions must be scouted early!" This was Wei Renpu's suggestion.

After a pause, he added: "The timing for mobilization must also be well chosen—we must guard against the Khitan, the Meng Shu, and even Li Yiyin of Xiazhou!"

"Or we could issue an edict inviting Jingnan, Wuyue, and the Ma Chu to join our dynasty in attacking Tang from all four sides!" Fan Zhi proposed a strategy.

Feng Dao was not to be left out: "Gao Baorong fears and submits to the Central Plains, and Wuyue is their hereditary enemy—both can be used as auxiliary forces. The Ma brothers of Hunan are locked in internal strife, and the calamity within their own walls has yet to cease—I fear they will be hard to rely on as reinforcements..."

After that, the court discussion quickly evolved into the Great Han's sovereign and ministers making strategic plans for the military conquest of the Southern Tang. For the most part, everyone spoke with substance.

Seated on the imperial throne, watching the assembled ministers actively presenting their views and remonstrances, Liu Chengyou's thoughts could not help but drift for a moment.

This was the first time he had seen his court officials discuss a single matter with such unity of purpose, and he felt quite moved.

If all the Great Han's ministers could work with one heart like this, why worry about the realm not being pacified. Of course, this was merely an illusion—something to think about and nothing more. On this point, Liu Chengyou remained quite clear-headed.

There was still much he needed to work on......