Chapter 439: Guo Wei Endorses Stability

There was a hidden implication in the Son of Heaven's words, and Guo Wei sensed it. His eyelids lifted, their gazes met briefly, then looked away.

Guo Wei clasped his hands in salute, keeping his posture extremely low, and said: "That Your Majesty would show such concern for this broken body of mine moves me to tears of gratitude!"

"We are in Guo Qing's own residence now—if you remain as stiff as you were at court, that would be far too dull!" Raising his hand, Liu Chengyou adopted a relaxed posture, lowering himself to recline sideways on the felt blanket spread across the garden.

Yet his tone unconsciously grew solemn: "Since I ascended the throne, I have vigorously pursued reform and striven boldly forward. Though I dare not claim to have poured out my heart's blood, neither have I ever been remiss. Three years I have sharpened the sword, and now the time has come to draw the blade and sheathe the realm's wars. The state is at an extraordinary juncture; for military affairs and strategic decisions, I need a minister of outstanding vision. The Bureau of Military Affairs awaits Guo Qing's return to office, to take charge of its affairs!"

The Son of Heaven's meaning was already quite clear, and meeting Liu Chengyou's candid gaze once more, Guo Wei hesitated briefly, then under Liu Chengyou's watchful eyes, rose and knelt, bowing his head in deep reverence: "If Your Majesty does not spurn this broken body, your servant is willing to serve!"

He had expected Guo Wei to put on airs of modesty and decline a few times, but he was this forthright, and his attitude this deferential—it was pleasing. Liu Chengyou's estimation of Guo Gong rose another notch. Indeed, Liu Chengyou even wondered whether Guo Wei had already known, at the moment he arrived at the gate, that he would be recalled to office...

He personally helped Guo Wei to his feet. The ensuing conversation would be far more formal. Liu Chengyou could not possibly have come to Guo's residence in person merely to freeload a meal of roasted meat.

It was Guo Wei who took the initiative to ask: "The Khitan have launched a great invasion to the south, raiding the northern borders, and the court has already dispatched troops. I hear Your Majesty will also personally lead the campaign. At this time of urgent military intelligence and pressing circumstances, a single eunuch bearing an edict would have sufficed to summon me, and I would have obeyed. Why need Your Majesty take time from your schedule to come in person?"

"I am troubled at heart. This outing from the palace serves both to clear my mind and to seek Guo Qing's counsel on certain matters!" Liu Chengyou let out a light sigh.

Guo Wei clasped his hands: "Your servant dare not presume."

Although Liu Chengyou was inwardly certain that Guo Wei must have some understanding of the general military situation, he still pretended he did not, and recounted in detail the northern military intelligence, the Han army's preparedness, the upheavals among the Khitan, and the strategic debate between north and south that weighed most heavily on his mind.

He spent a brief moment laying out the situation in full, then fixed Guo Wei with a questioning gaze: "The civil and military officials at court each hold their own views, laying out all the advantages and disadvantages, but in my heart I remain undecided. After all, this is a decision that concerns the very foundations of the state and the shape of the realm—I truly dare not be anything less than cautious."

"Guo Qing has long been nurtured in the governor's mansion, and your insight is renowned for its sharpness. As they say, the bystander sees clearly. In your view, which path should be taken—the southern campaign or the northern expedition?"

Facing the Son of Heaven's inquiry, Guo Wei did not answer immediately. He pondered seriously for a long while, then, rather than rehashing the already-repeated arguments of advantage and disadvantage, asked Liu Chengyou: "In Your Majesty's estimation, if our dynasty were to campaign north against the Khitan and retake the Yan Mountains' passes and defenses, how many troops would need to be mobilized?"

Liu Chengyou answered without hesitation: "With the court's current strength, exerting full effort, we could raise two hundred thousand infantry and cavalry. Half of them could fight; fewer than fifty thousand could be entrusted with matters of life and death; and those who would fight to the last drop of blood would be fewer still!"

"Your Majesty truly understands warfare!" Guo Wei nodded, offering a small compliment, then asked again: "If we exert our full strength, how long could the court's three years of accumulated reserves and the gains from suppressing Buddhism sustain us? And is Your Majesty truly confident of retaking all the border prefectures and rebuilding the frontier defenses?"

Liu Chengyou was silent for a moment, then shook his head directly: "That question, I cannot answer!"

Seeing this, Guo Wei continued his questioning: "In Your Majesty's view, if we were to attack the false Tang and take all its territory north of the Yangtze, how many troops would be needed? How much money and grain would it cost? How long would it take?"

At the question, Liu Chengyou pondered briefly, his tone carrying confidence: "Given the false Tang's current situation, combined with my painstaking schemes, if I dispatch sixty thousand troops by land and water, I am confident I could take it within half a year!"

As his words fell, he turned his head to look at Guo Wei's honest and steady expression, and understood what opinion he held. He sighed softly and said: "In my heart, I merely find it hard to part with such a golden opportunity. Just like the Battle of Luancheng back then—staking everything on one throw, gambling it all, and only thus achieving such a great victory!"

As Liu Chengyou said this, he seemed to have forgotten a thought he'd had after the great victory at Luancheng: never again would he take such risks.

Hearing this, Guo Wei said: "Your Majesty is no longer the prince who once led a single detached army. What you hold in your hands is no longer the honor of one force, but the weight of mountains upon your back—the entire realm. You cannot afford to be incautious; you must act according to your strength!"

"But the itch in my heart is unbearable! Youyan is in enemy hands—like a thorn in my back, like a fishbone stuck in my throat. Everything is constrained by it!" Liu Chengyou voiced the frustration in his heart.

"Your Majesty is no ordinary sovereign. You must endure extraordinary humiliation and undertake extraordinary deeds!"

After thinking for a moment, Guo Wei suddenly asked: "Does Your Majesty know of the former kingdom of Balhae?"

Liu Chengyou replied: "The prosperous kingdom east of the sea—how could I not know of it?"

"It stood for over two hundred years, with flourishing culture, vast territory, numerous prefectures, and thriving agriculture and livestock. The Khitan ancestors raised armies to conquer it, seizing all its lands and taking two hundred years of accumulated wealth, unifying the northern wastes, and thereby their national power surged. The Khitan's former master Yelu Deguang was thus able to campaign south with full force, launching repeated invasions while still having strength to spare!"

Liu Chengyou furrowed his brows slightly, watching Guo Wei, listening quietly for what came next.

Guo Wei pointed southward and said seriously: "Among the southern separatist states, the false Tang is the wealthiest. In your servant's view, the false Tang is our dynasty's Balhae!"

By this point in the conversation, only a trace of wine-induced flush remained on Liu Chengyou's august countenance, yet the slight hesitation between his brows seemed already dispelled.

He again invited Guo Wei to drink, and discussed with him the matter of northern border defense, bringing up certain concerns he harbored about the north for discussion.

Liu Chengyou told Guo Wei that regarding this matter, he truly did not have confident certainty of victory if he exhausted the nation's strength in a northern expedition. He merely considered the Khitan threat, and from the bottom of his heart was unwilling to be controlled by others. As with this time—if the Khitan wished to march south, he would have no choice but to abandon even the opportunity to execute his southern strategy. And waiting until the Great Han barely possessed the strength for a two-front war—who knew how long that would take.

He had also considered defeating the Khitan and retaking the prefectures of Tan, Ji, Ru, and Wu to hold them, but he had no idea in his heart what great price that would require. And the risks and lingering consequences of a desperate gamble made him even more uneasy.

Even if he succeeded, how many troops, how much money and grain would be consumed in rebuilding the northern defense line? For the next several years or even longer, the Great Han would likely be completely tied down in the north. And taking history as a mirror—even if the ten-thousand-li Great Wall still stood, could it block the northern threat, ensuring no more barbarian cavalry invasions to the south? Not necessarily. The primary benefit of seizing the north was to ensure that when the Great Han faced the grassland threat, it would not always be strategically inferior to the enemy, at a disadvantage and on the defensive before the battle even began.

After hearing Liu Chengyou's words from the heart, Guo Wei sighed: "How to choose—Your Majesty has long had a settled view in your heart. What I have said now seems rather superfluous!"

That was true enough. Liu Chengyou had come to his door not only to invite Guo Wei out of retirement, but also to find some confidence from him, and to ease his own emotions...

Guo Wei continued: "Since the end of the Tang and the three dynasties that followed, the Central Plains have been in turmoil and the Khitan have risen. Even before the Sixteen Prefectures were lost, the threat from the north was never small. In the end, though the barbarian threat is hateful, one's own strength is even more important. The Great Han now has a sage sovereign on the throne, renowned ministers and veteran generals, and battle-hardened soldiers. This is precisely the time of our rise—the day we march north will come!"

In this visit, Guo Wei had already praised Liu Chengyou more than once. Liu Chengyou waved his hand and continued: "I have also considered taking advantage of the Khitan's internal strife and their new ruler's desire for stability, sending a great army north to employ a strategy of threat and intimidation, forcing them to cede back our Yanyun lands..."

As he said this, Liu Chengyou laughed at himself, self-deprecating: "But upon deeper reflection, that was wishful thinking. Given the current situation, I truly cannot let a momentary fantasy interfere with military matters!"

"Your Majesty!" Guo Wei said solemnly to Liu Chengyou: "In your servant's humble opinion, regarding the Khitan—if we merely defend against them, concentrating the strength of the Central Plains, Hebei, and Hedong will suffice; if we wish to retake the passes and mountains, then we need all the Great Han's borders to be peaceful, and to concentrate the strength north of the Yangtze; but if we wish to annihilate them, then we must subdue all the various states, govern the civil and military affairs within, and exhaust the entire nation's strength—it cannot be achieved in one or two battles!"

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou seemed lost in thought, then said: "Guo Qing, you have just set for me a strategy for annihilating the Khitan!"

"Well then, today I have freeloaded a meal from Guo Qing—your wife's cooking was most satisfying..." Wiping the grease from the corner of his mouth, Liu Chengyou rose: "A conversation with Guo Qing has yielded much. I shall not linger—I will return to the palace first!"

"I have treated Your Majesty poorly, with inadequate hospitality—please forgive me..." Guo Wei maintained his humble and deferential demeanor.

"Ah, right!" Before leaving, Liu Chengyou pointed at Zhang Yongde, who stood at a distance with the guards, and said: "This son-in-law of yours has been by my side for quite some time now. He is a capable commander. When we campaign south, how would it be to have him lead a detached force to seize territory?"

Hearing this, Guo Wei said: "He is young after all—I fear the men will not be convinced!"

"Am I not already renowned for employing the young and talented?" Liu Chengyou waved his hand: "I think he can do it, so he can!"