Chapter 445: The Tang Lord Scrambles to Raise an Army

The north wind howled, the cold night biting to the bone. Above the Tang palace, the night sky hung dark as a black curtain, almost devoid of light. The heavens seemed to have sunk lower, ominous clouds churning, as if behind that black curtain lurked a monstrous beast baring its fangs, its bloody maw gaping wide...

In the main hall of the Tang palace, the heavyweights of the Southern Tang court gathered in one place, the atmosphere oppressive and grim. Whether of the northern faction or the Jianghuai faction, all wore solemn expressions. A great calamity had befallen the state—for these high officials and nobles who had long enjoyed the benefits of the Great Tang's strength, this was by no means good news.

Han Xizai sat to one side, his face full of worry. The very thing he had always feared, the danger he had urgently warned against, had finally come to pass. Thinking of how his foresight had been ignored and dismissed all along, until now the Han army had proven him right—yet at this moment, Han Xizai could not muster the slightest joy.

Li Jing did not sit down. He paced back and forth in the hall before the assembled ministers, his steps hurried, muttering under his breath: "They truly have come! How dare the Northern Han? Not long ago they were still in communication with our court, exchanging envoys, and now they strike without declaration of war—where is the bearing of a great state? This is nothing but the nature of wolves and jackals..."

"Your Majesty, as things stand now, all of the Northern Han's previous dealings with our court were clearly a ruse to deceive us. Their gluttonous appetite has long been fixed on our Huainan lands. Their joint campaign to pacify Chu was plainly meant to lure us with Chu's territory, to drain our strength and tie down our forces." Han Xizai rose and laid out for Li Jing what he had "seen through" in a short time, suspecting that Li Jing had yet to grasp the full sequence of events.

"No wonder—when our great army marched west to pacify Chu, the Han army made not a single move. And now, just as the Chu rebellion is rising, the Han army has already invaded our Jiangbei territories. There is no way such a coincidence exists in this world. The Northern Han has laid out a grand scheme!"

"Wolves and jackals of the Central Plains, harboring treacherous designs, unworthy of the name of men!" At these words, Li Jing once again burst into a scolding fit like a wronged wife.

"What of the Khitan? Are they not afraid of the Khitan?" Li Jing suddenly asked.

Han Xizai shook his head and sighed: "Clearly, the situation in the north has changed. The Han and Liao cannot go to war with each other. Otherwise, no matter how greedy the Han emperor might be, no matter how covetous of our Jiangbei lands, he would never dare send his army south and ignite conflict!"

Often, once one thing becomes clear, everything else follows. Now that the Han army had truly marched south, all previous doubts were resolved. It was as if the fog had lifted, and every suspicion and speculation now had its confirmation.

"Alas..." With a heavy sigh, the worry on Li Jing's face grew even deeper.

At that moment, a purple-robed official hurried in—it was Li Zhenggu, the Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs of the Tang, who had been transferred from Yuanzhou to Jinling. Holding a document in his hand, he personally presented it to Li Jing: "Your Majesty, this is the edict issued by the Han emperor that the Han army has distributed north of the river—a declaration of war against us!"

Forgetting all propriety, Li Jing took it and opened it directly, his head bobbing as he scanned it quickly. Soon a look of shame and indignation spread across his face, and he roared angrily: "The Han lord raises an army without just cause, and still dares to slander our Great Tang so! This is an outrage, an outrage!"

"We, having inherited the foundations of state and governing all under heaven, have sought to rule with humility and cultivate civil virtue—how could We wish to raise armies and stir multitudes, to flaunt martial glory! Yet this benighted and chaotic realm must be met with righteous punishment. You foolish people of the Huai region, daring to defy a great power—taking advantage of the Tang house's decline and the chaos of the Yellow Turban rebels, you have run rampant for nearly sixty years, seizing territory by force and presuming to claim a false mandate..."

The "Edict of Punishment Against Huai" was written by the chief minister Fan Zhi, over five hundred characters in full, projecting the Han court's might and majesty while utterly despising the Southern Tang, insulting even their ancestors and branding them as nothing but bandits and rebels. To the Southern Tang, which had always prided itself on inheriting the true mandate of the Great Tang, this was no different from being slapped across the face, spat upon, and then ground into the dirt—an insult beyond measure.

As the Han emperor's edict was passed around, the Southern Tang court erupted in an uproar. Ministers rose one after another to curse, and regardless of whether they truly felt such shame and indignation in their hearts, this display was simply political correctness.

Grand Minister of Works Sun Sheng rose, agitated: "Your Majesty, the Han army has already pressed to our very doorstep. At this point, words are useless—the Great Tang must strike back immediately!"

At this, Li Jing nodded, though his face still bore the look of one who had lost his composure. He asked: "First Hunan, now Jiangbei—enemies on both sides. What are we to do?"

At these words, most of the Southern Tang ministers in attendance fell silent. Just as the Northern Han had to choose between a northern campaign and a southern invasion, so too did the Southern Tang have to choose between aiding the west and rescuing the north. Of course, their decision was easy to make—so long as they had even a modicum of sense.

This time, it was Feng Yansi who rose first to speak. In truth, upon learning of the Northern Han's southern invasion, Feng Yansi had already begun to panic. At a time like this, he had no heart to spar with Han Xizai—he knew things had gotten truly serious.

The proposal to pacify Chu had been strongly advocated by his faction. Now it had been proven to be a Northern Han conspiracy... Back when they had pacified Min, only Wuyue had come out to cause trouble, and the problem had been manageable. But now, in pacifying Chu, the Northern Han had leapt out with a gaping maw of fangs, ready to devour.

Yet what was done was done, and regret was useless. All they could do was try to salvage the situation. Feng Yansi stepped forward and advised Li Jing: "Your Majesty, the prefectures of Huainan are the very foundation of our court—where our soldiers and people reside, where our taxes and revenues depend. They must not be lost under any circumstances. Shouzhou in particular is a key stronghold of Huainan; if it falls, the situation north of the river will collapse entirely. The Han army's sudden attack this time was clearly well-prepared. I fear Duke He alone cannot withstand them. The court must dispatch troops immediately to relieve the siege! As for Hunan, we can no longer spare the attention!"

"What Chancellor Feng says is most true! Hunan is newly acquired territory and already thoroughly ruined. Now that Huainan is in peril, the court's efforts must be concentrated on dealing with the Han army!" Rarely, Han Xizai spoke up in support of Feng Yansi.

Just as with the Hunan matter during the day, Han Xizai offered several recommendations regarding the Han army's southern invasion: "In this time of emergency, the court's first priority must be to strictly order the prefectures north of the Huai—especially Shou, Hao, Si, and Chu—to hold fast and await reinforcements, while scouting the Han army's strength and movements. Second, halt all operations supporting Chu. Draw troops from Jiangnan, Jiangbei, and Jinling, raise funds and grain, conscript laborers, and dispatch forces with all speed. It is early winter now, and the Huai River has not yet frozen—perfect for leveraging our naval advantage. At the same time, recruit brave warriors within the realm to resist the Han army. Hunan has already tied up no small amount of our troops, funds, and grain."

"Third, regarding Hunan—send orders to Bian Hao that the court can no longer look westward. Hold if possible; if not, preserve the army and abandon it. Those Langzhou troops are crude military men who forget honor at the sight of profit. They are surely being manipulated by the Han court behind the scenes. Once our army withdraws, with a little guidance they can be led into internal strife, causing no trouble for our court!"

"Fourth, in the prefectures of Run, Chang, Xuan, and others, strictly guard against Wuyue striking from behind. This year Qian Hongchu formed a marriage alliance with the Northern Han—there is no guarantee he will not send troops from Su and Hu. Ezhou is the same—guard against the Gao clan of Jingnan trying to profit from the chaos. Liu Renshan is a famed general; with him defending, there should be no major problem. With the Han army invading south, Jingnan and Wuyue likely do not wish to see our court destroyed either, but we must still be on our guard."

"Fifth, dispatch envoys to contact the Western Shu, the Khitan, and even the Li clan of the Dingnan Army, inviting them to attack the Han from the rear!"

"Minister Han is truly a pillar of the state!" Li Jing steadied himself, looking at Han Xizai with a somewhat kinder expression, sighing from the bottom of his heart as he recalled their friendship of over a decade. In the critical moment, it was still Han Xizai who devised strategies for him.

Han Xizai, however, took no pride in Li Jing's praise. He clasped his hands and said: "For now, I only hope the generals defending Jiangbei can fight to the death to hold their positions until the court's relief army arrives."

"Who should be appointed as commander to lead the army north to the rescue?" Li Jing asked.

When the matter of military command came up, Feng Yansi shot Wei Cen a glance. Understanding the signal, Wei Cen stepped forward and suggested: "Your Majesty, Liu Yanzhen, Commander of the Shenwu Army, comes from a distinguished family, excels at both horsemanship and archery, and possesses both wisdom and courage. His ability in commanding troops and governing the people makes him a veritable Great Wall on one front!"

Hearing Wei Cen's words, Li Jing thought for a moment. He had an impression of this man—many ministers in court had long sung his praises, and his reputation for talent was quite good.

Beside him, Han Xizai heard this and felt a tightening in his heart. He was not well acquainted with Liu Yanzhen, but he always felt the man was something of a fame-seeker.

Uneasy at heart, he was about to speak when he heard Li Jing had already given the order: "Appoint Liu Yanzhen, Commander of the Shenwu Army, as Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Field Headquarters. He shall lead the thirty thousand troops of the Shenwu, Xiongwu, Tianwei, and Jingjiang armies across the river northward to relieve Shouzhou."

"How many troops has the Han army brought? With the garrison forces of the Huainan prefectures and the various militias, plus another thirty thousand imperial troops—seventy or eighty thousand soldiers defending—surely there is no cause for concern!" Li Jing looked around the hall, as if seeking some reassurance. His naivety was on full display at this moment—did he truly think war was a mere comparison of troop numbers?

"Your Majesty!" At this, Han Xizai could not help but speak up again, advising Li Jing: "The troops of Hao and Si must not be lightly moved. Zhang Quanyue, the Army Commander of the Baoxin Army in Luzhou, has always been steady and reliable, and Luzhou is close to Shouzhou. He can be ordered to lead a force north to pin down the Han army, seeking opportunities to engage while awaiting the court's main force. As for Gao Bi, the Prefect of Chuzhou, he must be strictly ordered to hold Qingliu Pass, to prevent any Han detachment from launching a surprise attack and to protect the corridor for our northern relief army!"

"Do as you say!" Li Jing agreed without a moment's hesitation.

"Your Majesty, the northern bandits have invaded, and border troubles have erupted suddenly. The court cannot lack ministers of prestige at such a time. Duke Song has always been wise and discerning, and has been in Hongzhou for many years now. Might we summon him back to court for consultation?" Before the evening court adjourned, Feng Yansi carefully suggested.

He was feeling the pressure, wanting to recall Song Qiqiu, another heavyweight of his faction. Otherwise, judging by the situation at court tonight, the northern faction was gaining too much strength.

Li Jing's brow furrowed slightly. He looked at the thoroughly submissive Feng Yansi, thought for a moment, then waved his hand: "Raise the Duke of Weiguo to Grand Preceptor, advance him to Duke of Chu, and recall him to court to jointly address this crisis!"

"Your Majesty is most wise!" Seeing that Li Jing had agreed to his request, Feng Yansi breathed a sigh of relief and bowed.