Chapter 550: Military Strategy

"Precisely for this reason, compared to the likes of Wang Kui and Pan Shusi, this Zhou Xingfeng is somewhat harder to deal with!" Guo Rong picked up the thread: "Wang Kui and the others are crude fellows who, once they attain wealth and rank, become insufferably smug. In contrast, Zhou Xingfeng rose from poverty and obscurity, yet is clearly more calculating, with a resolute character, and knows how to enforce strict discipline and law!"

"He took Changsha, governed Tanzhou, seized Hengzhou, plundered Yuanzhou, recruited the displaced, and pacified arrogant generals—every move he makes is steady and progressive. I am certain that if he is allowed to take Langzhou as well, he will inevitably turn to eliminating the generals and soldiers of the south, unifying Hunan's military and political power! And the military strongmen and arrogant generals occupying the southern prefectures will certainly not sit idly by and surrender. There will still be upheaval in Hunan!"

"Back when I was still in Huainan, upon hearing of Wang Kui's defeat, I already sensed that Hunan would surely see much trouble, and I even guessed that Zhou Xingfeng would emerge as the final victor! The current upheaval in Hunan's situation is hardly surprising!" Liu Chengyou said.

"This Zhou Xingfeng does have some ability and means—he acts on opportunity, rises with the tide, and is a figure of note. It's just a pity that in Hunan, it's ultimately small-time squabbling, hard for him to amount to anything great!"

"Your Majesty speaks truly!" Zhe Congruan responded: "Although Hunan's territory is vast, under years of constant warfare, its population has sharply declined, leaving it nearly in ruins. Even if Zhou Xingfeng rises, he would merely be cleaning up the mess, hardly able to contend with a great state. Moreover, Zhou Xingfeng is bloodthirsty by nature and knows nothing of compassion for the people. It is said that when he judges cases, any commoner who commits an offense—regardless of the magnitude of the crime or its severity—is executed outright. Thus, though superiors and subordinates alike fear him, it is difficult to win the people's hearts..."

Liu Chengyou pondered for a moment, then said with a wistful expression: "Since Ma Yin's time, the various Ma sons have fought over the trough, governance has been in constant chaos, and the flames of war have never ceased. The people of Hunan have suffered greatly, and to this very day remain in dire straits. As the sovereign of all under Heaven, the common folk of Hunan are also my subjects. Though they are a thousand li away, I feel their suffering as my own, my heart wrenched as if pierced by knives, wishing I could rescue them from their calamity!"

Hearing the Emperor spout such high-sounding platitudes, Zhe Congruan and Guo Rong both couldn't help but show a trace of peculiar expressions. Zhe Congruan asked: "Does Your Majesty intend to send troops into Hunan?"

"I have such considerations!" Liu Chengyou's displayed grief was deftly reined in, leaving no trace on his face, as he calmly nodded: "I wish to hear your views."

Guo Rong then said directly: "Forgive me for speaking plainly, but the time is not yet ripe!"

Meeting Liu Chengyou's gaze, Guo Rong voiced his thoughts: "First, the war in the southwest has not yet concluded; rashly mobilizing troops a thousand li away would place too heavy a burden on the court. Second, the Gao clan of Jingnan stands in the way like a fishbone stuck in the throat. Third, Hunan's military strength is weak, but its territory is vast—defeating them is easy, but pacifying and managing the aftermath is difficult; the court still needs ample preparation. Fourth, the puppet court in Lingnan cannot be ignored, lest it seize the opportunity to profit!"

Pausing briefly, Guo Rong continued: "Hunan is now like a shallow pool where fish and shrimp fight over food within. Even if it raises a thorny big fish, it's hardly a concern—sooner or later it will be meat on the Great Han's chopping block!"

"Minister Guo's metaphor is quite vivid!" Liu Chengyou raised a finger and said.

"However, the court should not simply let the Hunan warlords attack each other privately—otherwise, where would the court's authority stand?"

Liu Chengyou's words were clearly not heartfelt. Previously, when Pan Shusi killed Wang Kui, the court had still approved his request and tacitly recognized his rule over Langzhou. In truth, Liu Chengyou was not at all eager to march south and take Hunan—he simply felt uneasy if he didn't get a hand in.

"Your Majesty, isn't Zhou Xingfeng waving the banner of rescuing the people and punishing the wicked, eliminating traitors and pacifying chaos for the state? The court can issue an edict approving him. Then transfer Zhang Wenbiao north, appointing him as the successor Military Governor of Wuping Army, and see whether this Zhou Xingfeng complies or not!" Guo Rong suggested: "Looking at that Zhang Wenbiao, he's no pushover either. If it succeeds, conflict between Zhou and Zhang is inevitable. Regardless, with Lizhou as a nail the court has driven into Jinghu, finding a pretext to mobilize troops in the future is merely a matter of His Majesty's will."

"Incidentally, we could employ the strategy of borrowing passage to destroy Guo, and take care of the Gao family of Jingnan in one stroke!" Zhe Congruan added: "Take all of Jinghu, control the heart of the realm, and with a bit of reorganization, west we can advance into the Meng Shu, south we can destroy the puppet court, east we can sail downriver to take Tang and Wu—within a few years, the realm can be settled!"

"Hearing you speak thus, I can hardly wait to take Jinghu into my grasp!" Liu Chengyou said with a light laugh, then instructed: "Handle the Hunan matter as Minister Guo suggests!"

"Besides, Hunan is in shambles—let that wretch Zhou Xingfeng first clean up that mess for me, so that it will be convenient to welcome the imperial army another day!" Liu Chengyou said.

"Your Majesty's strategic vision is truly admirable!" Surprisingly, these words came from Guo Rong, and Liu Chengyou couldn't help but cast him a slightly surprised look.

After a brief pause, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but sigh deeply: "My only concern is that letting a bloodthirsty warrior like Zhou Xingfeng wield power—alas, when will the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians of Hunan know peace!"

After his lament, he asked again: "What progress is there on the Fengxiang front?"

Zhe Congruan rose, took out a map, and answered while pointing at it: "With the court reinforcing troops and grain and equipment transported into place, the Chencang defense line, under Commander Zhao's leadership, has been thoroughly stabilized. Xiang Xun has entered Guanzhong, gathered boats and ships, cut across the Wei River, coordinated the rear, and shielded Jingzhao.

Li Tinggui feigned an attack through Xie Valley while secretly sending Shu general Sun Hanchao through the Qinling Mountains via Ziwu Valley to launch a surprise attack on Chang'an. He was detected by Song Yanwo, Military Governor of Yongxing Army, who led troops to strike him, and the Shu army fled in panic!

Han Baozhen on the Qinzhou route attempted to bypass Longzhou and strike south at Sanguan Pass to threaten Chencang's rear, but was also repelled by Chancellor-Governor Shi!"

"All the garrisons display their valor, and the soldiers carry out their orders—the southwest can be secured!" Liu Chengyou said: "This way, the Shu army should be caught in a dilemma!"

Guo Rong nodded and analyzed: "At present, the Shu army's main force of nearly thirty thousand men, commanded by Li Tinggui, is camped along the Chencang Mountain line. Stymied by the sturdy walls, their edge has been dulled, and they cannot advance an inch—they've reached a desperate pass. They've even resorted to the risky scheme of slipping through Ziwu Valley to raid Chang'an, and there's been no progress on the Longzhou line either—clearly they've exhausted their tricks. For the Shu army, this has become a deadlock. They've been campaigning for months, wasting men and resources, and now that summer has arrived and the weather grows hot, I expect they can hardly hold out much longer—they'll withdraw before long!"

Liu Chengyou clearly approved of Guo Rong's analysis. Staring at the military map outlining the frontline situation, he pondered for a moment, then said directly: "Order Zhao Hui and Xiang Xun to make preparations—if the Shu army withdraws, act on opportunity and fight a battle! They've rested and built up their strength for so long; since the enemy came, we can't let them retreat at their leisure!"

"The Bureau of Military Affairs will issue the order immediately!" A hint of a smile showed in Guo Rong's eyes—clearly, the Emperor's decision suited his taste.

"Also, tell Zhao Hui not to worry about military supplies and baggage—I will order Yan Jinqing to make every effort to procure them to supply the army!" Liu Chengyou said.

"Yes!"

In the third month, while dispatching Xiang Xun to Guanzhong, Liu Chengyou also transferred the former Director of the Armaments Directorate, Yan Jinqing, to Guanzhong. In recognition of his diligent service and selfless devotion to duty, he promoted him to Fiscal Commissioner of the Southwest, tasked specifically with supplying the armies at Fengxiang.

The Son of Heaven issued an edict to procure supplies locally. Though named "Southwest," in reality the entire Guanzhong region fell within the scope of procurement, directly intervening in financial matters. It was the same policy of reducing the power of the garrisons, but each place was handled differently—Hedong through military, law, and administration, while Guanzhong first had its financial power taken away.

As the three men were conversing, Pan Mei walked in, holding an official document in his hand, and paid his respects. After returning to court, on the merit of his contributions in the Huainan campaign, he had been transferred to the Bureau of Military Affairs as a staff officer, overseeing the generals and officials of the northern frontier, border defense, and state diplomatic affairs. Favored by the Emperor, this was clearly a prelude to major promotion, and many above and below envied him.

"What is it?" Zhe Congruan asked.

Pan Mei said: "The establishment of the Hedong border army has been drafted into an official document—please review it, Your Majesty and Chancellor."

Zhe Congruan personally received it and presented it to Liu Chengyou, explaining as he did: "After review by the Bureau of Military Affairs, synthesizing the border situation in Hedong, we propose establishing the Dingxiang Army at Yanmen Prefecture with a strength of three thousand, with Yang Ye as Army Commander; the Ninghua Army at Keland Prefecture with a strength of three thousand, with Li Wanchao as Army Commander; and the Baoning Army at Baode Prefecture with a strength of four thousand, with Zhe Deyi as Army Commander. With these three armies totaling ten thousand men, defense is well assured!"

Guo Rong added: "As for the original troops of the various Hedong prefectures, apart from those selected for the Eastern Capital, the remaining ten thousand troops are to be placed under the Hedong General Command and stationed across the various prefectures! The rest are to be sent home, either as local officials or as militia, combining farming with military service to maintain peace and order in the region!"

In fact, after this reorganization by the court, of the many armies in Hedong, only a minority were truly disbanded. However, the hierarchy became clearer, and the court's control was greatly strengthened.

"Issue it according to the regulations!" Liu Chengyou had already anticipated this, and after a brief review, he gave his instruction.

"Have Governor Zhe, Li Wanchao, and Yang Ye return to the capital to report on their duties!" After a moment's thought, Liu Chengyou added.

As he spoke, he glanced at Zhe Congruan and said softly: "Governor Zhe is the father of the Empress. Come to think of it, after all these years, I have never met my father-in-law. Having garrisoned the frontier for so many years, enduring cold and heat alike, it has truly been no easy task. The Worthy Consort often mentions him in the palace—her longing for her father moves me deeply. It is fitting that the Zhe family be reunited to enjoy their kinship..."