Chapter 351: To Yedu

All were fond of drink, and among this group, Zhao Kuangyin had the greatest capacity for wine. Still, all maintained restraint—once the drink reached a certain point, they instinctively set down their cups and stopped pouring, and without prior agreement, turned to roasted meat to enliven their conversation.

The tent flap was thrown open again, this time with considerable force. A gust of cold wind carrying bits of grass swept straight into the tent, the chill striking their faces. Zhao Yanjin could not help but shiver and opened his mouth to curse. But when he saw the officer entering, one who exuded an air of refined elegance, he forcibly held his tongue.

"We pay our respects to Commander-in-Chief Murong!" The assembled officers immediately rose and bowed in unison.

The one entering the tent was none other than Murong Yanzhao, Commander-in-Chief of this field headquarters. He swept a simple glance around the tent's interior, then revealed a genial yet dignified smile and asked: "Have you all drunk your fill and eaten your fill of meat?"

They exchanged glances, and Gao Huaide took the initiative to reply: "By His Majesty's grace, we have eaten and drunk our fill."

Zhao Yanjin then casually invited Murong Yanzhao: "There's still some wine and meat left. Would General Murong care to share it with us?"

His gaze lingered briefly on Zhao Yanjin's lightly flushed face, then Murong Yanzhao's expression turned stern, his voice rising as he called out: "Zhao Yanjin, Zhao Kuangyin!"

"Here!" The two men named immediately straightened their backs and answered loudly.

"You two will accompany me to the ferry landing. The Huazhou authorities have already prepared the pontoon bridge, and it needs to be inspected so that tomorrow's river crossing goes smoothly—there must be no mistakes!" Murong Yanzhao instructed.

"The night is deep. You will take turns patrolling the various camps and maintain heightened vigilance—no negligence! At the imperial camp, the rotation must not be delayed; anyone who misses their shift will be executed!" He then commanded the remaining officers, including Gao Huaide.

"Yes!" The young officers answered in unison, their expressions grave and solemn. Before Murong Yanzhao, no one dared put on airs.

None of them were fools. Though they were valued by the Emperor, they still knew their place well enough. The man before them was the Son of Heaven's true trusted general—one who had been personally sought out and invited to serve even before the Emperor's rise to power.

Murong Yanzhao turned and left. Zhao Yanjin and Zhao Kuangyin immediately picked up their helmets, put them on, slung their steel blades, and followed him out. Though Zhao Yanjin's usual speech was somewhat frivolous, when it came to serious matters, his capable demeanor immediately showed itself—his bearing proper and composed, much like when Liu Chengyou had first met him and taken a liking to him at a single glance.

As for the young officers in the tent, Murong Yanzhao was quite satisfied with them, and he was especially impressed by Liu Chengyou's eye for talent. Among these men were many with great potential to become commanders and marshals.

When Murong Yanzhao had previously been summoned back to the capital to take charge of the army, besides receiving due promotions and rewards, what showed even greater favor was that the Emperor had called him into the palace for a deep conversation. He had entrusted him with confidential plans, sought his opinions on the southern campaign strategy, and exchanged ideas about the future development of the imperial army—one point of which was the targeted promotion of promising young officers.

On this inspection tour, when bringing Gao Huaide and the others along, Liu Chengyou had specifically instructed Murong Yanzhao to offer these men guidance and advice along the way.

With Murong Yanzhao in overall command of the field headquarters, Liu Chengyou could rest assured. At the imperial camp, after a simple banquet and discussion with Guo Congyi and other Huazhou officials, Liu Chengyou had already retired for the night.

Hanging in the imperial tent was a map of Hebei—already a relatively detailed one. It marked the cities, main roads, mountains and rivers, and forests of the Hebei prefectures, with the line along the Southern Yi River especially annotated with important military intelligence such as troop deployments and city defenses. The northern inspection tour had only just begun; though Liu Chengyou had not yet crossed the river, his thoughts had already drifted far to the north.

Before the imperial presence, a low-ranking officer of the imperial army, radiating an unpretentious and plain air, simply reported on the gathering of Gao Huaide and the other officers—every word and action had been recorded.

"I know. You may withdraw!" Liu Chengyou nodded lightly, then gestured to Zhang Dejun: "Reward him!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing the report, Liu Chengyou's attention shifted to Zhao Kuangyin's social skills—truly impressive. However, he showed no further suspicion. There were plenty of officers well-liked among their comrades in the army, and Liu Chengyou could not possibly make every subject a solitary official. It was merely that, mindful of the reputation of the "First Emperor of Song," he paid slightly more attention to him.

He stood staring at the map for over a quarter of an hour, until the young Lady Zhe personally entered the tent carrying a basin of steaming water—only then did Liu Chengyou snap back to his senses.

"Your Majesty, it's late. Time to rest!" The young Lady Zhe said softly, gazing at Liu Chengyou with her lively, sparkling eyes.

Looking at the young lady of the Zhe clan, with steam rising gently before her lovely face, Liu Chengyou felt an inexplicable stirring in his heart and said: "Then let's turn in."

The young lady immediately broke into a delighted smile.

While the eunuchs in the tent tidied away the map, Liu Chengyou sat on the edge of the campaign cot, which had only a simple soft mattress laid over it, and removed his shoes and socks to step into the basin. The young Lady Zhe rolled up her sleeves, knelt beside him, and personally scrubbed and washed his feet.

Soaking one's feet before bed on a winter night—the sensation was especially pleasant. With a beauty in attendance as well, Liu Chengyou felt all his fatigue melt away. The young lady of the Zhe clan's skill at attending to someone was hardly the finest, but what mattered was the sincerity behind it. Having a heroic woman of the frontier stoop to serve him—though it was only natural and proper—still stirred fresh appreciation in Liu Chengyou's heart.

With his eyes slightly closed, Liu Chengyou chatted casually with the young Lady Zhe, mentioning that she need not attend to him so personally. But she refused, and lifting her jade-like face, told him with particular earnestness that she had been entrusted by the Empress and dared not be remiss.

At this moment, the young Lady Zhe, in Liu Chengyou's eyes, moved him even more than her usual valiant and spirited bearing...

Liu Chengyou had originally entertained the thought of washing the young Lady Zhe's feet in return, but on second thought he abandoned it—after all, such treatment, such favor, was something even the elder Lady Fu had not yet enjoyed.

Of course, on this cold night, Liu Chengyou shared the cot with the young Lady Zhe. The beautiful young woman received his favor—previously only lightly tilled, this time Liu Chengyou engaged in a deep and thorough cultivation of her...

A firm body, delicate, full, rounded, slender...

All approached with a craftsman's spirit—earnestly felt, earnestly appreciated.

The next morning, Liu Chengyou, in a somewhat weary state, gave the order to move out, and amid the farewells of Huazhou's civil and military officials, continued his northern inspection tour.

The river crossing was fully prepared, and in just over an hour, more than three thousand people, along with mules, horses, and baggage carts, crossed smoothly.

Once across the river and setting foot on the northern bank of the Yellow River, the northern inspection tour truly began.

The lands on both sides of the great river had always been the nation's most fertile territory—culturally flourishing, economically developed—with the Yedu region being the most prominent. In the process of transitioning from chaos to governance, recovery had been swift.

It had been nearly two years since Liu Chengyou last set foot on Hebei soil. Compared to when he had accompanied the army on the punitive campaign, his mindset this time was different. The greatest difference was that he came this time as the master, inspecting his own territory.

No longer seeking speed, on the road to Yedu, Liu Chengyou frequently stopped to observe the countryside and inquire about the people's condition. Compared to his previous impressions, the most direct feeling was the restoration of order.