Chapter 467: Winter's Chill in Jinling

It was midwinter, and the Jiangnan region was gradually entering its coldest period. The city of Jinling was far less lively than in winters past, and rumors spread among the common folk, with public sentiment growing increasingly unsettled. The primary reason was the fighting north of the Yangtze.

Though some time had passed, when battle reports came from the north, the Southern Tang's mounted messengers no longer foolishly shouted "Disaster!" at the top of their lungs. Having noticed the unrest among the people, the Southern Tang court had also tightened martial law and control in Jinling, and had begun suppressing news of defeats north of the river.

But no wall is so thick that the wind cannot pass through it, and Jinling was a city full of leaks. Essentially, the gentry and commoners of Jinling all knew that the Northern Han had invaded in force and that the Tang army had suffered defeat after defeat.

Moreover, as the court moved troops about with increasing frequency, forged weapons, recruited able-bodied men on a large scale, and levied money, grain, and supplies—though the Southern Tang had accumulated considerable reserves over the past decade or more, especially during Li Bian's reign—the expenditures were also too great to bear.

In particular, since Li Jing had succeeded to the throne, he had lavishly built palaces and gardens, delighted in hosting banquets, and spent extravagantly. Military campaigns abroad had been far from few, but most had merely wasted troops, horses, money, and grain, with expenditures exceeding revenues.

It was precisely because the half of the realm in Huainan and the half in Jiangnan could economically complement each other that the Southern Tang's ruler and ministers could afford their extravagance and indulgence. Now that the northern threat had arrived, it was as if they had been startled like a cat whose fur was standing on end—reacting fiercely, desperately determined to resist the Han army.

As the Southern Tang court launched its massive conscription and preparation efforts, prices in Jinling rose accordingly, and the cost of living for ordinary gentry and commoners shot up. The adverse effects of war on the Southern Tang's people were already becoming visible in Jinling.

Of course, amid this northern cold front sweeping southward, there were always those who kept their ears closed to matters beyond their windows, devoting themselves solely to studying the works of the sages.

In the Zheng Prince's residence, in the rear garden, among the pavilions and kiosks, inside a warm chamber filled with elegant fragrance, a handsome youth with a refined bearing was practicing calligraphy with a brush, completing a gentle, lyrical ci poem in one go. This was the sixth son of the Southern Tang Emperor Li Jing—Zheng Prince Li Congjia.

He softly recited a few lines to himself, then praised lightly: "Lord Wen's poetic charm is truly something to aspire to!"

A warm smile spread across Li Congjia's handsome face. He beckoned the palace eunuch waiting at the side to come closer and asked: "Tell me, how do you find my calligraphy?"

The eunuch was a palace attendant assigned from the palace to serve the Zheng Prince. Through constant exposure, he had some literary knowledge, and of course he heaped praise and compliments upon his master, making the youth beam with delight.

"This piece of calligraphy—I'll give it to you!" Li Congjia said happily to the eunuch.

The eunuch hurriedly replied: "This servant thanks the Sixth Young Lord for his generosity!"

Youth knows not the taste of sorrow. Twisting his slender fingers, he suddenly asked: "I've heard people in the residence talking lately, saying that northern bandits are invading southward. What's this all about?"

Meeting Li Congjia's curious gaze, the eunuch said carefully: "It's said that the Han dynasty to the north suddenly sent out troops to attack our borders! His Majesty has already dispatched a large army northward to provide relief!"

"These northerners truly delight in warfare, launching such an unjustified campaign!" Li Congjia nodded in apparent understanding, then said: "But since the court has already sent troops, I should think there's nothing to worry about—they'll surely be enough to stop the enemy!"

"Your Highness speaks truly! Our Great Tang upholds the rightful mandate of the realm, and our national strength is formidable. When the Han soldiers come, there will naturally be generals to face them!" The eunuch said these words to comfort Li Congjia, not bringing the defeats in the north to disturb the Zheng Prince's peaceful and tranquil life.

Li Congjia, however, had become interested and said: "Lay out fresh paper for me—I wish to compose a poem, as a blessing for the soldiers resisting foreign aggression!"

The eunuch hurried to comply, saying: "With such a sentiment from the Sixth Young Lord, His Majesty will surely be delighted when he learns of it!"

At the same moment, within the Jinling palace, Emperor Li Jing was fretting. The situation in Huainan was deteriorating day by day, defeat reports came in rapid succession, and the pressure from the Han army was almost suffocating him.

Even though more than twenty days had already passed, Li Jing still remembered the palpitations and terror he had felt upon first learning that Liu Yanzhen's entire army had been wiped out. During this period, Li Jing had truly eaten without tasting, slept without rest, and not known a single peaceful day. Poetry, song, dance, and the extravagant pleasures of the court—all rarely managed to hold his interest.

"Your Majesty, all the ministers have arrived!"

Upon hearing the report, Li Jing mustered some of his spirits and ordered the procession to be prepared.

In the main hall of the palace, several of the Southern Tang's most important ministers were already seated waiting. The one with the most imposing bearing was the Grand Tutor, Duke of Chu, and Acting Commissioner of Military Affairs, Song Qiqiu, who had returned to court from Hongzhou. Originally, Li Jing had promoted him to Grand Preceptor, but Song Qiqiu had firmly declined, remaining Grand Tutor. The elder statesman was aged, but at this time of national crisis, he seemed to be gradually becoming the backbone of the state.

Guided by the eunuchs, Li Jing entered the hall with an expressionless face, took the main seat to receive their bows, swept his gaze across the assembled ministers, and asked with unusual directness: "Speak. What bad news is there now? What moves has the Han army made?"

The ministers exchanged glances, and Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs Li Zhenggu rose to report: "Your Majesty, it is news from Hunan. Bian Gao has reported that the Chu soldiers have all rebelled, the Langzhou troops are running rampant, morale in Changsha is wavering, grain is insufficient, military supplies are lacking, and the city can no longer be held. If the court does not send relief soon, the land of Hunan will surely be lost!"

Hearing this, Li Jing immediately flew into a rage and berated from the throne: "How can this Bian Gao be so useless! With an army of thirty thousand, he can't even hold down a mere Hunan, and he's been driven to such a desperate state by a bunch of deserters and defeated soldiers—a ragtag mob!"

"Your Majesty, Governor Bian Gao certainly bears responsibility for the situation in Hunan, but the way things have developed is not his fault alone!" Han Xizai spoke up to say a fair word, and as he spoke, he glanced at Song Qiqiu, Feng Yansi, and the others. Since Song Qiqiu had returned to Jinling, the scholars who had crossed the river from the north had been suppressed in court, and when it came to influence over the Southern Tang's military and political affairs, it was these Jianghuai bureaucrats who held sway.

"What about Xian Vice Minister? Why hasn't he led his troops north to join forces with Bian Gao and first crush the Langzhou troops and the rebels!" Li Jing said again. During this period, Li Jing had clearly done some crash-course study of the various fronts and battle situations—at least he could now speak about them in simple terms.

Li Zhenggu said: "On Governor Xian's front, rebel forces are unceasing, barbarian unrest continues unabated, and the Southern Han army threatens from the Guizhou direction. He dares not leave his post!"

Hearing this explanation, Li Jing's mood grew even more gloomy, and his face darkened into an ugly scowl. Seeing this, Song Qiqiu spoke up, looking completely composed and speaking directly: "Your Majesty must make a decision. Hunan has become a quagmire—a realm in chaos and rebellion cannot be held for long. When one's feet are stuck deep in mud, one must seek to pull free. A hero cuts off his own arm, like excising rotten flesh!"

"At present, Liu Yanzhen has been defeated, Shouchun is under siege, and the north of the river is in dire straits. Dealing with the Northern Han invasion is the top priority. As for Hunan, we must decisively abandon it and withdraw the main army that entered Chu. Even recruiting a hundred thousand able-bodied men in Jiangnan would not match the twenty or thirty thousand troops in Chu. If we simply withdraw them, let them rest for a time, without even training, they can be sent north to resist the enemy!"

"With the Chu people pressing so hard, can we withdraw smoothly?" Li Jing clearly had the same inclination, but he was weighed down by concerns.

Seeing this, Song Qiqiu replied sternly: "If Bian Gao and the others cannot hold Hunan, and don't even have the ability to retreat, then those soldiers would be useless even if transferred north!"

After saying this, his tone softened somewhat: "Given the current situation, the troops in Chu must all be longing to return home. Keeping them stationed in Hunan, surrounded by enemies on all sides, fighting would indeed be difficult. But ordering them to withdraw and return home—they will surely leap at the chance, and the Chu people will find it hard to stop them!"

The army that had entered Chu was a force whose discipline had completely collapsed. They were unwilling to fight the Chu people—how could they possibly be willing to fight to the death against the even more ferocious and powerful Han? Whether Song Qiqiu had considered this point, or had considered it but chosen not to raise it, was unclear.

Han Xizai then spoke to reassure Li Jing: "Your Majesty, according to our intelligence, Wang Kui and Zhou Xingfeng of Langzhou and those other military men are all greedy, base, and profit-seeking sorts. Though they call themselves the 'Ten Brothers,' in truth each harbors his own schemes, and all have ambitions toward the land of Hunan. While our army remains in Hunan, they can barely manage to unite against us. But once our army withdraws, they will certainly not obstruct us excessively!"

"After all, those military men absolutely would not be willing to expend their own soldiers in attrition against our army. Faced with our withdrawal, they are more likely to stand by and instead divide Hunan among themselves, each seizing his own territory and playing king!"

"The only ones who might possibly block our withdrawal are the Han army! But the Han troops in Lizhou are ultimately few in number—a single beam cannot support a house, and they will hardly pose a major obstacle!"

Hearing Han Xizai's analysis, before Li Jing could react, Song Qiqiu stroked his beard with an air of indifference and said: "Vice Minister Han's words have some insight. Your Majesty may rest assured and issue the decree regarding the troops in Hunan!"

"Draft the decree and send it out!" Seeing this, Li Jing waved his hand.

"Yes!"

The messy affair of Hunan had been settled with a decision, but Li Jing's heart remained heavy. The powerful enemy pressing on the northern border was the true worry, the true great peril.

"What of the Northern Han's main army? Any movement? Hunan is just a pack of starving dogs—the north is a fierce tiger!" Li Jing let out a long sigh, worry written across his face: "How can we oppose them?"

After these words fell, the hall fell silent for a moment. It was still Li Zhenggu who spoke: "Since the Northern Han Emperor personally led the campaign and came to the Huainan front lines, besieging Shouchun, all contact between our court and Shouchun has been completely severed! Several tens of thousands of the Northern Han's imperial army are surrounding Shouchun, and we do not know the situation within the city!"

"Governor He and the others will hold firm in loyalty to the state and strive to reverse the tide of defeat. They still have troops, and grain is prepared. Defending a strong city, and with it now being midwinter, I expect they should be able to hold out for some time, awaiting the court's relief army!"

Han Xizai added: "The Northern Han army has built extensive fortifications and camps beneath the walls of Shouchun. From their movements, it is clear they intend a prolonged siege. In your servant's view, at least until the end of winter when the cold recedes, the Han army will not launch a full assault on Shouchun. Therefore, our court still has sufficient time to reorganize a northern relief army!"

Li Jing was fairly trusting of Han Xizai's analysis, and upon hearing his words, he relaxed slightly—but the worry in his heart remained heavy.

Li Zhenggu continued his report: "Additionally, after Haozhou fell, the Han Emperor dispatched two detached forces—one, led by the enemy's Huainan East Circuit Pacification Commissioner Guo Rong, advancing east to attack our Sizhou; the other, led by the Huangzhou-Guangzhou Patrol Inspector Si Chao, advancing west, and they have already taken the two counties of Huoqiu and Anfeng in central Shouzhou. Militia Commissioner of Sizhou Feng Yanlu requests that the court send reinforcements as soon as possible!"

"The Han army enters our borders and is allowed to run rampant without any fear?" Li Jing finally erupted in anger: "Everyone is begging for reinforcements—do they think reinforcements can be summoned at the drop of a hat?"

The reality was that the thirty thousand imperial troops that should have given the Han army pause had already been squandered by Liu Yanzhen. Li Jing's impotent rage was useless.

"Your Majesty, your servant has also heard that the Han Emperor has appointed Wang Qiwu—the deputy envoy who once came to Jinling—as Prefectural Administrator of Haozhou, to manage the military and civil affairs of the prefecture. Though young, this man is extremely capable and resourceful. He has already begun registering households, reforming governance along Han lines, pacifying the gentry and commoners, absorbing the disaffected, and winning over hearts and minds, turning Haozhou into Han-administered territory!" Han Xizai reported with a grave expression: "Compared to violent conquest, these methods of the Han Emperor are far more frightening for our court!"

Hearing this, Li Jing could no longer contain himself. In a fury, he swept the documents off the imperial desk.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" Seeing this, the assembled ministers hurriedly entreated.

The scattered documents were like Li Jing's scattered state of mind at that moment.