Chapter 436: The North-South Dispute

"Your Majesty, what further deliberation is needed?" Palace Commander Shang Hongqian stepped forward and said directly: "The Khitan have encountered such a great upheaval that they are in chaos without even fighting—this is the perfect opportunity for our army to advance. The main forces on both flanks have already been mobilized, and grain supplies are being transported north. Now is the time to strike north against the Khitan, to seize the opportunity of their transition between old and new leadership, to retake the prefectures of Youyan in one stroke, to secure the defense of the Yan Mountains, to send troops beyond the frontier, and to achieve an unprecedented feat of merit!"

Since Shi Hongzhao's time, Shang Hongqian had held the position of commander of the imperial army for three years now. On ordinary days, he basically behaved himself as a decorative figurehead, not participating in the court's strategic decision-making. But at this kind of enlarged military-political council, Liu Chengyou still had him attend and gave him the right to speak.

But the moment his words fell, Minister of Works Wang Pu immediately stood up and said with some agitation: "Your Majesty, I believe Palace Commander Shang's proposal is inadvisable. The Khitan surely have no strength to look southward at this time—this is a heaven-sent opportunity. Our dynasty should immediately turn our forces southward, attack the false Tang, seize Huainan in one stroke, take all the land north of the Yangtze, and only then plan to look north!"

"Minister Wang's words are mistaken!" At this moment, Wang Yin, Chief Commander of the Xingjie Army, also rose to speak: "Now the imperial army of the Eastern Capital has marched north, the Hebei troops have already assembled, and the northern garrison forces have all made their battle preparations. Under these circumstances, to recklessly change the direction of operations—how much money and grain would be wasted, how much time, how much of the soldiers' strength and fighting capability would be consumed?"

"Rather than that, it would be better to follow the momentum and press north to the end, retaking our northern border's key defensive positions in one stroke!"

Among the military officers in the hall, besides Wang Yin, there was also Du Hanhui, Chief Commander of the Wujie Army—a brave general—who now chimed in, supporting the northern advance.

Han Tong, Chief Commander of the Tieqi Army, seeing this, followed with his own statement, supporting war against the Liao. In the view of these military officers, such a rare opportunity to strike the Liao was hard to come by, and it absolutely must not be missed.

Seeing all these military officials in such a fervent state, Fan Zhi could not help but rise to support Wang Pu: "Generals, you are thinking of the situation too simply. Just how far the Khitan's situation has developed, what the enemy's condition truly is—these remain unknown and still require reconnaissance. How can we so easily speak of war!"

Shang Hongqian, however, could not bear to hear such words. He stared hard at Fan Zhi, his tone aggressive: "Chancellor Fan, are you questioning whether this commander understands military strategy? Now that several hundred thousand troops are heading straight for Hebei, is that not for the purpose of fighting? Your Majesty, the court, and the soldiers of all armies have all made preparations for a great battle with the Khitan. The Khitan have suffered losses and are weakened; our army is at full strength—how can we not fight?"

Never before had anyone discovered that Shang Hongqian possessed such eloquence. Seeing the argument growing somewhat heated and fearing it might damage the harmony, Feng Dao came out to smooth things over: "That the generals have the heart to dare battle and the will to resist the enemy is the fortune of the state. But matters of war concern the national economy and the people's livelihood, and require a cautious heart. This old minister believes that if we can avoid war, we should avoid war. Better to sit back and observe how things develop, wait until the situation settles, and then seek a stable and reliable course..."

Well then, Old Chancellor Feng was simply suggesting not fighting at all. Of course, Liu Chengyou directly pretended not to hear this remonstrance.

At this moment, Wang Pu bowed deeply with a sincere expression: "Your Majesty, honored lords, the national policy the Great Han has upheld until now has been 'first the south, then the north'—to pacify the various states first, and then gather the full strength of the nation to resist the Khitan in the north. Our dynasty has accumulated resources for three years, originally for the purpose of attacking the false Tang and taking all of Huainan, and then looking north after the southern campaign. Had the Khitan not invaded southward, our great army would already be seizing territory north of the Yangtze—there would have been no need for these preparations for battle in Hebei."

"The army's march north was originally a measure to respond to an emergency. Now that the Khitan have thrown their own ranks into chaos and the northern threat has dissipated, we should naturally return the state's strategy to its proper course and calmly manage the south. Otherwise, all of Your Majesty's many previous efforts against the southern states—would they not all be poured into the flowing water?"

"Now, the Tang army has seized the territory of Chu. On the surface they appear strong, and they are proud and complacent, truly stuck in a quagmire without realizing it. If we do not take advantage of their attention being divided elsewhere, finding such an opportunity again in the future will not be easy. Moreover, Your Majesty has now held this great debate over north versus south—the military intentions cannot be hidden. The false Tang will also be on guard against our dynasty, and it will be difficult to find another chance for a surprise attack or the effect of a sudden strike!"

Wang Pu's discourse caused Liu Chengyou and even the assembled ministers to fall into thought. But at this moment, Tao Gu, Secretariat Drafter, suddenly spoke up: "Minister Wang's so-called 'first south, then north' policy was originally born of fear that the Khitan are powerful and difficult to deal with. Hence the desire to first take the easy and then attack the difficult, first pacify the weak and then subdue the strong."

"But now!" Tao Gu glanced at Wang Pu, the corner of his mouth curling into an arc that made the latter uncomfortable: "The Khitan are in internal turmoil, delivering a magnificent opportunity for battle right before the Great Han's eyes—are we simply to watch it slip away? Why not take advantage of the momentum to march north, retake the defense of the Yan Mountains in one stroke, block the Khitan beyond the passes, and then slowly plan the south? 'First north, then south'—subdue the powerful enemy first, then calmly pacify the weak—is that not feasible? Must the Great Han be confined to this so-called 'first south, then north' strategy?"

Tao Gu's words were already somewhat cutting to the bone, and even Liu Chengyou could not help but furrow his brow. Tao Gu's words, when heard, did indeed seem to have some reason to them. Strategic decisions were, after all, only a basic guideline, adjustable at any time—guiding according to circumstances was what the wise did.

And Shang Hongqian could no longer restrain himself from clapping his hands: "Drafter Tao has spoken what is in this commander's heart! What 'first south, then north'—wherever is easier to fight, wherever is more convenient, that's where we fight!"

Thinking carefully, if they could truly take advantage of the momentum to march north, recover all the prefectures of Youyan, and re-establish a solid northern defense line—then not only would it be no small boost to his position and prestige, but after containing the threat from the north, calmly pacifying the southern states with fewer worries from behind—would that not be a fine thing?

"First south, then north" was a product forced by circumstances. If there was a possibility of turning the overall strategic situation around, why not try it?

A hundred thousand Khitan troops had mutinied during their southern campaign, the emperor had been killed, and a new ruler had ascended. Such an opportunity might not come even once in a hundred years. Would it not be a pity to miss it?

Various thoughts flashed through his mind. It had to be said that at this moment, Liu Chengyou was genuinely somewhat tempted.

"Furthermore, what Minister Wang calls the 'first south, then north' strategy ultimately still aims to concentrate strength to deal with the powerful Khitan in the north. Now that the times have changed and circumstances demand it, following the momentum to attack the Liao and eliminate that threat—why stubbornly abandon the near for the far, discard the north for the south?"

The more Tao Gu spoke, the more confident his expression became—clearly somewhat targeting Wang Pu. And there was one very important reason for this behavior of his: he was jealous of Wang Pu.

A junior man, simply because he had proposed a so-called "first south, then north" strategy, had the entire court, inside and out, revolving around it for the following three years. Originally, Tao Gu had also supported it. It was just that every time he saw Wang Pu before the throne, in the hall, pointing at the realm and directing with grand gestures, he felt envy.

Previously, when the Son of Heaven wished to expand the number of chancellors and the court ministers put forward nominations, Tao Gu had originally intended to contend for a position—but he had lost without any suspense. Xue Juzheng of the State Finance Commission and Wei Renpu of the Ministry of War had taken the two spots. Considering himself a senior yet repeatedly surpassed by juniors, and seeing Wang Pu—who had "no achievements to his name"—enjoying the Son of Heaven's favor and about to overshadow him, how could his state of mind remain balanced?

Therefore, he seized this opportunity to express his own strategy. If it succeeded, then Tao Gu's name would surely be written on the merit rolls, and a stroke would be recorded in the annals of history. Moreover, he was not speaking carelessly—the situation in the north was as it was, and a military opportunity was within reach. And from Tao Gu's understanding of the Son of Heaven, that heroic ambition to reclaim the rivers and mountains had long been surging in his heart, and he would very likely agree. Liu Chengyou's reaction had also given him confidence.

"Drafter Tao's words are mistaken!" Wang Pu, having been pressed and rebutted by Tao Gu's stream of words, already had an unpleasant expression on his face. But before the throne, he suppressed his emotions as much as he could and said in a deep voice: "The Khitan are no easy opponent. Rashly opening a strategic decisive battle with them is truly an unwise move. The false Tang is a base and weak state—its ruler benighted, its ministers sycophantic. The northern bank of the Yangtze shares a two-thousand-li border with us, and every place along it can be attacked."

"With the dozen or so prefectures of Huainan and a million people there for the taking—why not contend for them, expand our territory, and enhance our national strength, instead of taking the risk to gnaw on the hard bone of the north? If the war goes poorly, not only would years of prior achievements be wasted, but it would also greatly delay Your Majesty's pace in pacifying the various states and unifying the realm. Moreover, military governors are still densely spread across the land—if the war goes badly, who can guard against unforeseen disasters!"

"Your Majesty!" Wang Pu turned toward Liu Chengyou and bowed deeply: "You absolutely must not seek a moment's satisfaction and thereby jeopardize the greater situation!"

"Heh heh!" Tao Gu could not help but chuckle lightly: "When news of the Khitan's southern invasion came, the very one who first advised Your Majesty to halt the southern campaign decision—was it not you, Minister Wang?"

"The Khitan's internal chaos—that was then, this is now!" Wang Pu stared at Tao Gu, no longer being polite.

Tao Gu immediately shot back: "Since you know it is 'then versus now,' why stubbornly cling to the view of the southern campaign?"

"Enough!" Hearing the two ministers' heated debate, Liu Chengyou finally slapped the imperial desk. Though the force was not great, it brought the argument in the hall to an abrupt halt.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Chengyou looked toward Zheng Renhui: "Minister Zheng, you hold the Bureau of Military Affairs, are familiar with military matters, and have a reputation for good judgment. What do you think?"

Facing the Son of Heaven's inquiry, Zheng Renhui was somewhat surprised. After all, he had always been more of an executor in the Bureau of Military Affairs—a tool—and the Son of Heaven had rarely consulted him on matters of grand national strategy.

But now, upon being asked, he looked at the two ministers Tao Gu and Wang Pu, then answered: "The words of both Lords Tao and Wang have their merits, each with points worth taking. The pros and cons have been fully laid out—how to decide, I leave to Your Majesty's judgment!"

That was about the same as not asking at all. Liu Chengyou withdrew his gaze and looked toward Wei Renpu, who had not yet expressed an opinion.