Chapter 421: Khitan Stirrings, Troubles from the Rear

In mid-March of the fourth year of Qianyou, Emperor Liu Chengyou of the Great Han led elite imperial troops from both commands along with a contingent of Fengchen Army soldiers on a hunting expedition at Dunqiu, with the empress and consorts accompanying him. Two Commanders of the Fengchen Camp went along—Wang Yansheng being one of them—and the two competed in swordsmanship. Shi Yanchao, a fierce warrior on horseback, naturally found himself at a clear disadvantage when pitted against Wang Yansheng, who was known as "Wang the Sword."

The spring hunt lasted three days, and they returned laden with game. Noble Consort Gao and Worthy Consort Zhe also rode horses and drew bows to hunt, with Consort Zhe emerging victorious, bagging five pheasants and two hares.

Liu Chengyou also joined in, galloping his horse at full speed, hunting dogs dashing ahead, riders encircling from the flanks. The Son of Heaven drew his bow and loosed an arrow, felling a deer with a single shot. The assembled troops witnessed this and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" in thunderous acclaim.

Of course, what pleased Liu Chengyou most was that during the subsequent military exercises between the various units, several outstanding young officers emerged. Though they were only low-ranking officers at the battalion and company level, it was clear that besides Pan Mei and Ma Renyu, who had already caught the Emperor's eye, there were also Shi Shouxin, Han Chongyun, Han Lingkun, Dang Jin, and others.

Shi Shouxin in particular drew Liu Chengyou's gaze more than once—there was no helping it, for this man's "reputation" was considerable, no less than Pan Mei's. For a moment, Liu Chengyou felt the exhilarating sensation that all the heroes under heaven had fallen into his snare. Upon returning to the capital, he ordered the Bureau of Military Affairs to reward and promote these men, with the Ministry of War registering them in the rolls.

After a full three months, the Bureau of Military Affairs and the Ministry of War had completed their division of responsibilities, with jurisdictions clearly defined, and the military-administrative orders of the entire realm returned to proper order. Of course, a few areas of ambiguous boundary remained—such as military registration and transfers and promotions—not because they went unnoticed, but deliberately so, for mutual restraint and mutual oversight.

In Chongzheng Hall, Wei Renpu, Wang Pu, Gao Xingzhou, and Murong Yanzhao—several senior civil and military ministers—had been summoned to gather. From this configuration alone, one could tell the Emperor was convening a military council.

Gazing at the assembled ministers while ordering tea to be served, Liu Chengyou swept his eyes across them and said directly: "Youyan, Dingzhou, Cangzhou, Yingzhou, Daizhou and other prefectures have successively reported that the Khitan are raiding, invading our borders, plundering our people. The northern prefectures are beset beyond endurance—this weighs heavily on My heart!"

Wei Renpu added by way of supplement: "It has been over three years since the Battle of Luancheng. Based on intelligence from spies, reports from border prefectures and counties, and observations from merchant traffic, synthesizing information from all sources, it is clear that the Khitan have recovered considerable strength during this period."

"In the first two years, hampered by their grievous losses and having suffered several setbacks beneath the walls of Youzhou, they did not launch any major invasions. But from last autumn to this spring, Khitan cavalry have ridden south, invading our Han territory, in large and small raids totaling over seventy times—more than thirty in this spring alone. Every northern pass and fortress can be said to be aflame with beacon smoke."

"Moreover, these barbarian horsemen come in bands of at least a hundred, at most no more than a thousand. They devote themselves solely to slaughtering and plundering the common folk, disrupting our production. When official troops sally forth, they fight if advantageous and retreat if not—even abandoning captured goods and valuables, never lingering to engage. Their tactics are extremely flexible. King of Yan Zhao Kuangzan and Hebei Commander-in-Chief He Fujin have both sent troops out against them, but with very few kills to show for it."

Murong Yanzhao, who had garrisoned Hebei for two years, grew indignant upon hearing this: "These barbarian bandits are so rampant—I only wish I could emulate Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, driving north to sweep the grasslands!"

Of course, those words could only be spoken in passing. The natural defenses of the Yan Mountains and the Great Wall were still in enemy hands, and their cavalry was insufficient—there was simply no way to sally forth. Even if they forced an advance, with nothing to rely on behind them, it would only be marching to death. To put it bluntly, the Khitan, having recovered their strength, could indeed squat and relieve themselves on the Great Han's head without a care.

Though he knew full well the reality of the situation, Murong Yanzhao's spirit was still worthy of encouragement and praise: "General Murong, your ambition is commendable, your mettle praiseworthy!"

"The Khitan harass our borders with such urgency, their tactics so cunning—this seems somewhat out of the ordinary!" The old father-in-law Gao Xingzhou knitted his aged brows and stroked his beard as he spoke.

Glancing at the old marshal, Wei Renpu said: "What the Prince of Linqing says is most apt. The southernmost Khitan cavalry have penetrated as deep as Hejian. Though Commander He dispatched troops to hunt them down, their audacity is plain to see! I fear the Khitan harbor other designs."

After Wei Renpu finished speaking, the expressions of everyone present grew grave. Liu Chengyou rose and walked over to the map hanging on the hall's wall. Every time he looked at the territory of the Great Han, missing one piece here and another there, it vexed him greatly.

The others followed him forward. This Khitan border harassment, though small in scale of forces committed, covered an extremely wide area—stretching a thousand li from east to west.

"Tell me—is this a portent of a major Khitan invasion to the south?" Liu Chengyou suddenly turned and asked.

"Your Majesty!" At these words, Wang Pu stepped forward. His face wore a bitter expression as he said solemnly to Liu Chengyou: "I fear our court must prepare for the worst!"

"What is your view?" Liu Chengyou drew in a breath and looked toward his chief strategist, Wei Renpu.

Wei Renpu's expression was serious. He pondered carefully for a few moments, then said cautiously: "Your Majesty's conjecture, when linked with the Khitan's domestic situation in recent years, is highly plausible!"

Before Liu Chengyou could ask, Wei Renpu explained: "The Khitan are our court's greatest threat. Though there have been no major battles in recent years, we have never dared to be careless. The Military Intelligence Bureau under the Bureau of Military Affairs has also invested no small effort in probing their domestic situation."

"The previous Khitan ruler died at Your Majesty's hands. The current Khitan ruler, Yelu Ruan, led his forces north four years ago to contend for the throne, imprisoning Empress Dowager Shulu and his uncle Li Hu in Zuzhou—this already offended a great many Khitan nobles. After taking the throne, he imposed his authority over all the tribes, stripped their tribal people to strengthen his own tribe. He lavishly rewarded his close confidants, employed surrendered Han ministers from the north, while slighting Khitan nobles. All these measures have caused the Khitan ruler to lose the hearts of the imperial clan and nobility. From the first year of Qianyou to the second year of Qianyou, Yelu Tiande, Xiao Han, and other imperial clansmen successively plotted rebellion and coups—that is clear proof. The Khitan's internal situation is far from stable."

"And that Khitan ruler Yelu Ruan, though he bears a reputation for benevolence, is filled with ambition and constantly harbors intentions of invading the south. When he lost Youzhou back then, after a brief reorganization he dispatched Yelu Anduan with a great army southward—it was only stopped when King of Yan Zhao Yanshou led the soldiers and civilians in desperate resistance."

"Considering the Khitan's domestic situation, I boldly conjecture that the Khitan ruler raising his army to march south serves four purposes: first, it shifts the trouble onto others, suppressing the dissatisfied nobles and tribes at home; second, it allows him to take control of the various armies by the way; third, it avenges the great defeat of years past; fourth, it seeks to retake Youyan and even Hebei. At the very least, he can plunder wealth and people; failing even that, he can disrupt agricultural production in our Hebei prefectures."

After Wei Renpu finished his explanation, the hall fell utterly silent, and the atmosphere grew somewhat oppressive.

Gazing at the map for a long while, Liu Chengyou could not help but sigh: "What Minister Wei has said, though speculative, is analyzed with clear logic. Given the overall situation, I dare not take it lightly. Better to believe it exists than to believe it does not. Gentlemen—if the Khitan truly launch a major invasion southward, how should we respond?"

At this question, Wang Pu's expression shifted again and again. Gritting his teeth, he said: "Your Majesty, if the Khitan truly invade in force, then our court's strategy of attacking Huainan must be adjusted—even postponed!"

It was plain to see that Wang Pu had made this statement only after a very difficult decision. Among the ministers, none cared more about the southern campaign than Wang Pu. After all, it was his "Strategy for Pacifying the Borders" that he had proposed upon first entering service, and he had followed it all the way through preparation, adjustment, and refinement, expending tremendous effort.

Liu Chengyou looked at him in surprise and immediately shook his head: "No! The southern campaign strategy has been in preparation for so long, with enormous investment from the court—how could we lightly change course!"

"Never mind that this is merely a conjecture and a portent!" Liu Chengyou's face hardened, and he raised his hand to sweep his sleeve with a forceful gesture, speaking with dominance: "Even if the Khitan truly invade in force, with My painstaking efforts, the court united in purpose, the soldiers and people tightening their belts, the Great Han has accumulated three years of preparation—can the energy we unleash truly be insufficient to resist the Khitan and take Huainan at the same time?!"

Hearing Liu Chengyou's words, martial men like Gao Xingzhou and Murong Yanzhao were both stirred, their emotions rising. Wang Pu was also somewhat dazed, but he quickly recovered and clasped his hands to Liu Chengyou: "Your Majesty, when I proposed the 'south first, north later' strategy back then, I stated that we must await the right opportunity. Besides the southern situation changing and our court's invasion preparations being complete, the threat of the Khitan in the north could not be ignored. Indeed, the northern threat takes first priority!"

"If the Khitan show intent to invade south, then this is certainly not the right opportunity. Otherwise, with northern bandits striking from the south while the southern campaign goes poorly and Huainan cannot be quickly taken, the Great Han absolutely lacks the strength to fight on two fronts!"

Even Wang Pu—the man who had labored heart and soul for the "Huainan strategy"—said as much. Liu Chengyou forcibly cooled his somewhat heated mind. After thinking it over, he unexpectedly bowed to Wang Pu: "To have such a worthy minister is My fortune, and the fortune of the Great Han!"

"Your Majesty, I cannot bear such honor!" Wang Pu, taken aback, hurriedly returned the bow, bending even lower.

Straightening up, Liu Chengyou looked at Wei Renpu and asked solemnly: "If the Khitan invade south, and our army adopts a defensive posture in Hebei while concentrating all strength to strike Jiangbei in the south, seeking a swift decisive victory—is that feasible?"

Meeting Liu Chengyou's earnest gaze, Wei Renpu also thought it over calmly for a long while, then gave a definitive answer: "Forgive my bluntness, but no! War is the great affair of state—it cannot tolerate recklessness or gambling!"