Chapter 472: The Pacification Commission Is About to Be Put on the Agenda

Compared to the growing conflicts and deepening oppressive disappointment within Shouchun that were breeding an atmosphere of defeat, the Northern Han soldiers outside the city were likewise suffering from the Huainan winter chill—after all, no matter how densely and firmly the camp fortifications were built, they were still inferior to city walls when it came to blocking wind and cold.

However, compared to the Tang army, which was short on clothing and supplies and ill-prepared, the Han army soldiers were far more "comfortable." The large stockpile of cold-weather supplies amassed in the Han army camp was sufficient to see the Han troops on the Shouchun front line through the winter; winter uniforms and bedding had already been distributed to each army before winter set in.

Fine goods like duck down and animal hides were beyond the reach of ordinary soldiers, but hempen clothing and straw padding were amply stocked. As for officers of squad leader rank and above, they were granted woolen inner quilts—treating his soldiers so generously, Liu Chengyou had indeed spared no expense. And in the main camp, heating resources such as coal and charcoal were hardly lacking; from Mount Bagong north of Shouchun, Han army laborers had already felled a hundred thousand trees for military use.

On the winter solstice, Liu Chengyou issued a gracious edict granting every soldier in the entire army—including the civilian laborers still serving at the front—a bowl of dumplings with pork filling. For this, fifty pigs were slaughtered at once before the camp.

With the rank and file well cared for, military morale remained steadily stable. And in this process, the prestige of the Son of Heaven, Liu Chengyou, grew even greater; from top to bottom, all were proclaiming the benevolence and virtue of His Majesty the Emperor. The pacification commissioners of each camp also took advantage of this lull in fighting to tirelessly extol the sovereign and propagate the ideas of loyalty to the ruler and love for the state.

Over the past several years, the office of pacification commissioner had taken firm root in the imperial army of the Great Han; basically, for every thousand troops, one principal and one deputy pacification commissioner were assigned. In their daily duties, besides assisting the army commanders and sharing some of the clerical work, they took turns proclaiming and explaining the majesty of the Son of Heaven and the military policies of the Great Han.

In light of this, Liu Chengyou was already harboring the intention of consolidating all the pacification commissioners into a single Pacification Commission, which—like the Wude Office—would report directly to the Emperor. Nor would it be limited to the military; it would extend into the administrative system as well—what prefecture, circuit, province, or county in the realm did not need the grace and majesty of the Great Han's Son of Heaven proclaimed?

However, for the selection of pacification commissioners, he would need to find more scholars willing to swallow their pride—after all, what they had to do was, without any bottom line, repeatedly "grovel before" the Emperor. Such men were not hard to find; their moral character might not merit much praise, but they were serviceable.

The realm had been in chaos and turmoil for so long; in Liu Chengyou's view, the reclamation and restoration of the people's hearts could only be achieved through such repeated emphasis and indoctrination, subtly and gradually returning to peace and stability. As for the planning of the Pacification Commission, Liu Chengyou had already formed his decision—once the southern campaign returned to court, it would be put on the agenda.

Wang Zhu, as a close minister of the Son of Heaven, had recently been dispatched by Liu Chengyou down to the army, serving in the capacity of a pacification commissioner. This scholar, though fond of idle philosophical talk and hard to assess for administrative or governing ability, was quick-witted and sharp-tongued—his eloquence could be described as making flowers bloom from his tongue.

And Wang Zhu was quite interested in the commission Liu Chengyou had entrusted to him. Having served before the imperial presence for over a year, deeply impressed by Liu Chengyou's wisdom, shrewdness, and grand strategic vision, Wang Zhu had long since become a loyal devotee of His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Han, firmly believing that Liu Chengyou was favored by Heaven's mandate—destined to pacify all the states, end the fragmentation, and usher in a new golden age. The Son of Heaven of the Great Han ought to sit upon a complete and unified realm.

Under such conviction, how could Wang Zhu not throw himself into proclaiming the virtue and talent of the Son of Heaven with full vigor? Unlike the other pacification commissioners, Wang Zhu had, after all, spent time by the Emperor's side—and no short time at that—giving him a deeper understanding of the Son of Heaven.

Unlike the others, who, being far removed from the Emperor, could only praise him based on fixed impressions and near-conjecture, Wang Zhu was different. He told stories—concrete tales of how the Son of Heaven was diligent in governance, loving toward the people, close to his soldiers, frugal in his ways... Compared to the repetitive and tedious indoctrination, the stories he told were moving, and the soldiers loved to listen. Liu Chengyou seemed to know exactly how to use Wang Zhu.

At the southern camp of the Han army, where the Xiaodi Army was stationed, Liu Chengyou, accompanied by Chief Commander Sun Li and Chief Inspector Gao Huaide, was inspecting the military camp. Of the three armies of the Palace Command—the Longqi, the Xiaodi, and the Inner Palace Guard—if one spoke purely of troop strength, the Xiaodi Army was the largest, surpassing even the Longqi Army; for this southern expedition, the entire army had come along.

As a general who had fought his way up from the lowest ranks through bloody combat, Sun Li's story was quite inspirational within the army. If one spoke of command ability, Sun Li was not fit to lead ten thousand troops—he was a shock-assault general, and the Han army had hundreds if not thousands of similar officers. But Liu Chengyou had placed him in the position of Chief Commander of the Xiaodi Army precisely because of his loyalty and valor.

At the same time, it let others see that a man of Sun Li's talents, if he followed the right master and offered his loyalty, would never lack for reward. One should know that in the early days when Liu Chengyou took command of the Longqi Army and carried out reforms, Sun Li had been quite insolent toward him—but after the Battle of Luancheng, his fortunes took a sharp turn, and he won Liu Chengyou's recognition.

The whiskers on Sun Li's face had grown ever thicker, spreading almost across his entire cheeks, and they even carried a few flecks of ice—making him look rather unkempt.

Strolling along, Liu Chengyou pointed at Sun Li and said: "As the commanding general of an army, to be so careless about your appearance—how does that display a general's authority?"

Hearing this, Sun Li grabbed at his stubble and laughed: "Once the fighting starts, day and night without end, the beard grows fast! But the brothers all know me—no one dares laugh at me."

His official rank had risen, his noble title had grown heavier, but Sun Li's personality hadn't changed one bit—before Liu Chengyou, he still said whatever was on his mind, and dared to say it.

Seeing this, Liu Chengyou nodded and said casually: "I hear that you, Chief Commander Sun, have been grumbling quite a bit lately!"

"Someone's been spreading rumors about me?" Sun Li was taken aback, a flash of anger crossing his face. But looking at Liu Chengyou's profile, he clasped his hands and smiled: "Your Majesty knows me—I've always been blunt-spoken. It's just that since the southern campaign began over two months ago, everyone in the Xiaodi Army from myself on down has been thinking of rendering merit for the state and serving Your Majesty with loyalty. But from the start of the fighting to now, all the glory has been snatched by the Imperial Guard Command. We are, after all, Your Majesty's personal troops—how can we fall behind others? Wouldn't that be shaming Your Majesty?"

"For such words to come from your mouth, Sun Li, I'm not surprised—but I don't want to hear anything like this again!" Liu Chengyou turned, staring directly at Sun Li: "The Palace Command and the Imperial Guard Command are both imperial armies of the Great Han, both my personal troops, all warriors who turn swords into plowshares to expand the territory of the Great Han. Such talk that stirs up discord and harms military camaraderie is forbidden—not even grumbling!"

Seeing the Emperor was serious, Sun Li straightened his back and said: "Yes!"

As he spoke, Sun Li reached out and nudged Gao Huaide, signaling to him. Seeing this, Gao Huaide bowed to Liu Chengyou: "Your Majesty, Chief Commander Sun is straightforward by nature and means no harm—he's merely eager to distinguish himself!"

In the previous battles, it was indeed the three armies of the Imperial Guard Command—the Longjie, Husheng, and Fengguo—that had shouldered the main assault missions, after all, Wang Jun, as the overall commander, had originally held the military post of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard. By comparison, the Xiaodi Army hadn't particularly distinguished itself, and Sun Li's inability to endure obscurity was precisely due to this.

With his brother-in-law speaking up, Liu Chengyou naturally had to show face. He glanced at the two of them, his expression softening, and said: "Having the desire to render merit is a good thing—you should be encouraged. But war is never merely about charging on the battlefield; especially this southern campaign, which concerns the grand strategy of the state and long-term plans—I cannot tolerate the slightest negligence or error!"

"The fighting so far is only the beginning. There will be plenty of battles for you to fight, plenty of merits for you to earn! I'm only afraid that when the time comes and the opportunity arrives, you won't be able to grasp it!"

"Rest assured, Your Majesty!" Hearing this, Sun Li immediately assured Liu Chengyou: "For the assault on Shouchun, the Xiaodi Army requests the main attack mission—we will breach the city for Your Majesty!"

Tilting his head to look at Sun Li, Liu Chengyou thought for a moment, then nodded: "I grant you one main attack mission!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Sun Li's face lit up with joy as he hurriedly replied.

As the inspection reached the central camp, Liu Chengyou heard—within the solemn and stern military camp—there was actually a bit of discussion murmuring. Liu Chengyou's brow furrowed slightly. Drawing near to look, it happened to be Wang Zhu giving one of his lectures.

"Your Majesty, allowing these pacification commissioners to wag their tongues in the army like this greatly disturbs military morale..." Sun Li muttered beside him.

Without acknowledging Sun Li, Liu Chengyou's brow furrowed even deeper. From a general's perspective, the existence of pacification commissioners did indeed have an impact—especially on their control over the troops. However, it was precisely for this reason that Liu Chengyou's resolve was strengthened—it proved they were useful!