Chapter 511: Gain a General, Take a Consort

"Your servant Guo Rong leads the officers and men of Xuyi in welcoming Your Majesty's carriage, and begs Your Majesty to enter the camp for inspection!" Before the Han army camp, Guo Rong led the formation, bowing in welcome.

Having disembarked from the boat, Liu Chengyou's complexion had not yet recovered, but upon seeing Guo Rong, he still dismounted from the imperial horse, strode forward quickly, helped him up, and said with a smile: "Chancellor Guo, please rise!"

Casting a glance around, he waved his hand toward those who had come to welcome him: "All generals, dispense with the formalities!"

Entering the military camp and taking a seat in the central command tent, Wu Xingde directly rose and prostrated himself before the assembly, begging Liu Chengyou for punishment over the defeat at Xuyi.

"Chancellor Wu, rise!" Looking at Wu Xingde, Liu Chengyou's manner was kind and his tone gentle as he said: "There has never been an army that wins every battle in this world; victory and defeat are commonplace for soldiers. Moreover, I have already dealt with matters of rewarding merit and punishing fault—there is no need to brood over this!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Seeing this, Wu Xingde finally breathed a sigh of relief. In truth, all he wanted was to obtain a definitive attitude from the Son of Heaven.

Having clearly noticed Wu Xingde's little scheme, and discovering that behind this man's deference there seemed to be some self-abasement, he thought for a moment, then decided to reassure him further, saying: "Dou Zhengu of Xuzhou has been transferred by me to the Huaixi Circuit as Administration Commissioner. Chancellor Wu, you shall go to Xuzhou to replace him and administer the military and civil affairs of Xuzhou!"

"Yes!" Indeed, Wu Xingde's brow completely relaxed.

Although he had stepped down from the military governorship of Xuzhou, it was enough to set his mind at ease. On Liu Chengyou's side, although Wu Xingde was deferential, he had also been at the Xuzhou garrison for quite some time, and it was time to move him. In fact, it was not just Xuzhou—within the territory of the Great Han, many military commands had already been incorporated into Liu Chengyou's plans. It was already the fifth year since his ascension, and the problem of the military governors ought to be addressed.

"What is the situation inside Xuyi city at present?" Liu Chengyou asked Guo Rong.

Upon the question, Guo Rong did not say much, merely responding concisely: "The situation at Xuyi is just as I reported in my memorial—a city that wishes to surrender yet has not surrendered. Now that Your Majesty's carriage has arrived, Guo Tingwei will surely submit!"

"I hear you have considerable admiration for this Guo Tingwei?" Liu Chengyou's focus was clearly not on Xuyi city.

Guo Rong nodded and said: "Your servant has crossed swords with this man on many occasions. He is decisive in decision-making, flexible in combat, equally skilled in offense and defense, no weakling in infantry warfare, and excels at naval combat. Our dynasty excels at infantry and cavalry field battles, but naval forces are ultimately not our army's strength. In this southern campaign, had the Southern Tang not made strategic decision errors, and had they exploited their naval advantage, the Huai River defense line would not have fallen into our hands so easily.

Your servant believes that Your Majesty harbors the ambition to swallow up the eight wildernesses and sweep across the world. When conducting affairs in the south and crossing the Yangtze to fight, one must rely on naval forces. Our dynasty does not lack warships, and after taking Huainan, we will not lack sailors either—what we lack most is precisely talent capable of commanding troops in battle.

Your servant observes that Guo Tingwei is a rare naval commander. If he can be won over and put to good use, it will greatly benefit future southern campaigns to subjugate the various states. Moreover, among the surrendered Tang naval soldiers, having officers like Guo Tingwei would also make it easier to win their hearts!"

Although this southern campaign had ended, in Guo Rong's view, it was clearly only a temporary ceasefire. Subjugating the various states and unifying the realm—spoken from his mouth—sounded very matter-of-fact, as if it were simply the natural course of things. This was not only Liu Chengyou's grand ambition, but also the aspiration of many discerning men of the Northern Han.

After hearing Guo Rong's words, Liu Chengyou's demeanor was full of approval as he said: "When I was at Shouzhou, I often heard this Guo Tingwei's name—he caused our army no small amount of trouble. But since he is usable talent, how could I have any reason not to win him over!"

"Zhao Kuangyin!" Liu Chengyou called out.

"Your subordinate is here!" Zhao Kuangyin hurriedly responded.

"Go, release Guo Tingwei's parents, wife, and children into the city, and let his family be reunited first!" Liu Chengyou said.

Guo Tingwei's family was also part of the exchange with the Southern Tang. Zhao Kuangyin went to make arrangements, while Liu Chengyou chatted idly with Guo Rong, Xiang Xun, and a few others, discussing military matters.

The discussion mainly concerned three points: the Meng Shu, Jingnan, and Hunan—which place to take first in the next strategic thrust. The Meng Shu had violated the border, and Hunan was on the verge of internal turmoil—both were places worth targeting. As for Jingnan, it controlled the middle reaches of the Yangtze, giving it a prominent strategic position.

Speaking of Jingnan, right after the Han-Tang peace agreement was concluded, Gao Baorong submitted a memorial saying he had already sent troops to attack Ezhou...

After some deliberation, a consensus was reached: to destroy a state, one must wait for the right opportunity, but in the southwest direction, the four prefectures of Qinfeng absolutely had to be taken back. Otherwise, even if the Shu army was weak, it would still pose no small threat to Guanzhong—at the very least, it could serve as a check.

After waiting for about half an hour, news came from outside the camp gate: Xuyi's gates had been thrown wide open, and the Tang army had surrendered. Toward Guo Tingwei's surrender, Liu Chengyou displayed sufficient respect. He raised the tent, received him with civil and military officials in attendance, personally absolved him of the crime of resisting the heavenly army, promoted him to Deputy Chief Commander of the Jingjiang Army, and ordered him to accompany the imperial carriage back to the Eastern Capital.

Counting them up, among the surrendered generals of the Southern Tang, it was Guo Tingwei who received the most attention and generous treatment. However, this status and respect were ultimately earned through combat—after all, Guo Tingwei's performance throughout had caught the eye of the Northern Han ruler and his ministers.

As for the garrison soldiers in Xuyi city, they were even easier to arrange—those people were mostly natives of Huainan. A small portion of the capable ones were incorporated into the Huaidong Circuit Chief Command, elite naval soldiers were also selected and added to the Great Han's naval forces, and the rest were disbanded into the militia and sent home to farm.

Speaking of which, the Southern Tang naval forces and warships captured throughout the campaign, after being screened and absorbed, directly caused the Northern Han's naval strength to surge. Combined with the original Jingjiang Army, it broke through twenty thousand men. With that foundation, needing only further training and winning over the soldiers' hearts, it could become a powerful force sweeping across Jianghuai.

With matters at Xuyi concluded, the imperial carriage continued its journey northward back to the Eastern Capital. After passing Wokou and joining up with the western field headquarters column, Liu Chengyou, having had enough of boats, directly abandoned the vessel and went ashore, taking the land route back to the capital.

Returning north almost exactly along the route taken southward, they set up camp and lodged for the night at Suzhou.

Li Fang walked into the imperial tent, looked at Liu Chengyou, his face showing obvious hesitation. Standing there, he opened his mouth several times but made no sound.

"Mingyuan, if you have something to say, just say it directly—no need to hesitate and delay!" Liu Chengyou said without even lifting his head, continuing to approve military and governmental documents as he gave the instruction.

"Reporting to Your Majesty!" Li Fang submitted: "It is Wang Chengxiang—he wishes to request an audience with Your Majesty!"

"Wang Zhu." Liu Chengyou closed a document, thought for a moment, and said calmly: "I will not see him! You go in my stead to meet him, and convey my decree: let him go to Haozhou to serve as County Magistrate. Tell him that the newly taken lands of Huainan are in need of stable governance and nurturing of the people. Though a county is but a hundred li of land, being a good parent-official is no easy task. Let him earnestly educate the people, encourage farming and sericulture, drink less, and do more work!"

"Yes!" Li Fang immediately responded: "Your servant, on behalf of Wang Zhu, thanks Your Majesty!"

Although Li Fang had entered officialdom through the examination a year later than Wang Zhu, he was older and more learned than Wang Zhu, and the two were on good terms in daily life. This time, although Wang Zhu had been assigned the post of County Magistrate, for the "fallen out of favor" Wang Zhu, it was tantamount to removing the invisible shackles upon him. As long as he did not slacken in the localities and achieved some political accomplishments, with his background as a close minister of the Son of Heaven, his future career still held promise.

"This Wang Zhu!" After Li Fang withdrew, Liu Chengyou suddenly looked at Zhang Dejun: "Tell me, can Wang Chengxiang understand my good intentions?"

Upon the question, Zhang Dejun's eyes rolled around for a moment, then showed a trace of bewilderment: "This humble one is dull-witted—what does Your Majesty mean?"

Withdrawing his gaze, Liu Chengyou said lightly: "This man is young, with too much of the bookish scholar's temperament. Staying by my side, he would only ever be a favored courtier, a close attendant. I hope he can temper his character in a local post and gain more practical ability..."

Only then did Zhang Dejun show a "sudden realization" and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty actually holds such expectations for Wang Zhu—may he not disappoint Your Majesty's good intentions!"

Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, looking at the memorials that nearly covered the entire desk, Liu Chengyou felt some fatigue. When marching and fighting, although the pressure was immense, there were not this many trivial matters. Now that the fighting was done, the follow-up affairs and the military and governmental matters of the entire realm were piled up on his desk one stack after another. He felt somewhat weary at heart, but he had to endure it—imperial authority was sometimes embodied precisely in these memorials requiring his review and approval.

"Your Majesty, would you like to go out for a stroll to clear your mind?" Zhang Dejun seemed to have noticed Liu Chengyou's fatigue and took the initiative to suggest.

Raising a finger, Liu Chengyou directly gave the order: "Let's go, inspect the camp!"

In the vast Han camp, lanterns blazed brightly. Although the patrol guards were strict, there was noticeably less tension and killing intent—after all, this was no longer wartime, and the soldiers' nerves did not need to be so taut.

Beneath the night sky, starlight dotted the heavens. Though there was no loud clamor, the sounds of human voices and animal calls hummed without cease. Liu Chengyou wandered aimlessly, walking at leisure, when he was suddenly drawn by a strain of music—clear and beautiful, melodious and lingering, with a faint thread of melancholy running through it.

"In the camp, whence comes this music?" Pausing to listen for a while, Liu Chengyou said, then looked ahead to see a row of tents standing in formation: "Is it the female dependents of captured Tang officials?"

Those who could be taken by Liu Chengyou as spoils of war to accompany the carriage northward were certainly of no low status—there were only a handful of them.

"This humble one will go inquire at once!" Zhang Dejun said cleverly.

"No need!" Liu Chengyou shook his head, raised his hand to stop him, and slowly walked toward the source of the sound.

Reaching the small tent, he lifted the curtain and peered inside, seeing only a young maiden of marriageable age seated at a table, gently plucking a pipa. Her appearance was lovely, her bearing captivating. Liu Chengyou stood outside the tent, forbidding his guards from disturbing, and listened with closed eyes until the music stopped.

"Who is outside?" Seeming to have sensed the commotion outside the tent, a questioning voice emerged—clear and pleasant, with a slight note of tension.

Zhang Dejun lifted the tent curtain, and Liu Chengyou stepped in slowly, directly startling the beauty within. Inside, there were only a mistress and her servant—two young women. Liu Chengyou's gaze, of course, fell only upon the young lady who held the pipa.

Raising his hand to signal Zhang Dejun to stand guard outside the tent, Liu Chengyou spoke not a word and went straight forward to sit down. This master-of-the-house manner greatly surprised the young lady.

Surveying this somewhat rude man who had entered, she saw sword-like brows and a short beard, a handsome countenance, a slightly somber expression, and fine robes with an aura of restrained power that inspired awe. Her clear, bright eyes were full of wariness: "You... who are you, and how dare you barge into a women's tent?"

"Roaming the camp at night, I suddenly heard the exquisite sound of the pipa, and felt as if the heavens were high and the earth vast, my heart refreshed and spirit delighted—so I came specially to pay a visit!" Liu Chengyou's lips curled slightly at the corners as he looked at the young lady's charming, slightly furrowed expression and said calmly.

As he spoke, he looked over the young lady with abandon—her features were fine, her figure graceful, her skin fresh and dewy. Raising a finger, he said in a tone that brooked no argument: "I beg the young lady to play... one more piece for me!"

"You—how rude! To barge in without—" The maidservant guarding at her side could not help but speak up, her rebuke issuing forth, but at a sidelong glance from Liu Chengyou, she immediately lost her voice, nearly frightened to tears.

"Play one piece!" Liu Chengyou repeated.

The young lady was clearly just as nervous and deeply uncomfortable, but she was clever enough to sense that the man before her was no ordinary person. After all, the Han army's discipline was strict—anyone who could roam freely about the military camp was certainly of no common status. As the daughter of a captured official, how would she dare to be arrogant and give offense?

Straightening her pipa anew, the young lady said in a low voice: "Please, young lord, do enjoy this piece!"

Just as he was about to make a move, Liu Chengyou spoke again: "That tune just now, though melodious, carried a note of sorrow. Now that the Great Han has won victory in the southern campaign and returns in triumph, please play a piece of festive music!"

Hearing this, the young lady pursed her small red lips, seeming somewhat aggrieved, yet she could only force a smile and comply.

Only after listening to another tune did Liu Chengyou rise and, under the young lady's astonished gaze, leave the tent. Outside the tent, Zhou Zongzheng paced about with a tense expression, his aged face heavy with gravity. He had been received by Liu Chengyou before, and upon seeing him, hurriedly prostrated himself to beg forgiveness, hoping Liu Chengyou would spare his daughter for the offense of her impertinence.

Looking at Zhou Zong, Liu Chengyou smiled faintly: "The Duke of Zhou's daughter is graceful in bearing, refined in appearance, rich in talent and skill — most excellent!"

Having said this, he ambled back toward the imperial tent under the escort of his guards. Zhang Dejun, however, took the initiative to remain behind, helping Zhou Zong to his feet and saying to him with a beaming smile: "This humble one must congratulate the Duke of Zhou!"

"I dare not!" Zhou Zong said hastily.

Facing the somewhat unsettling gaze of Zhang Dejun, this palace eunuch, Zhou Zong silently sighed. How could he not understand Zhang Dejun's meaning? He stepped forward and walked back into the tent...

That very night, Zhou Zong's daughter was sent to the imperial tent to attend the emperor and share his bed.

And so the "Great Zhou Empress" was taken into the harem — simply and directly.