Chapter 57: Having Gained Luzhou, Now Seizing Zezhou

As night was about to fall, the wind gradually turned cool. Liu Chengyou personally made an inspection tour both inside and outside the city. After days and nights of marching, fierce fighting, and slaughter, the soldiers of every unit were utterly exhausted—and having just won victory, they were all quite relaxed.

After making a circuit, Liu Chengyou stood atop the northern city wall of Gaoping, pointed at the military camps outside the city, and said to Guo Rong and Xiang Xun, whom he had summoned to accompany him: "Don't you feel that something is missing from the atmosphere in the army?"

Guo Rong couldn't help exchanging a glance with Xiang Xun, feeling somewhat puzzled. Guo Rong asked: "Your Highness, why do you say that?"

"This victory was won by the soldiers' efforts. They fought and killed all the way here without any reward—even I feel weary and bitter." Liu Chengyou explained with a relaxed tone at the corner of his mouth, then waved a hand: "The overall situation is settled either way. Pass the order down—tonight we reward the three armies to celebrate victory. Prepare plenty of wine and meat, temporarily lift the ban on alcohol, and let the soldiers enjoy themselves."

"Celebrating the victory is reasonable, but if lifting the alcohol ban lets them get too relaxed and something unexpected happens..." Guo Rong couldn't help but offer a word of caution.

"I know. That's why the matter of vigilance and precaution is left to you, Patrol Inspector Guo!" Liu Chengyou replied with an air of calm indifference.

Seeing that Liu Chengyou was truly not puffed up with pride or complacency, Guo Rong stepped back and saluted with cupped hands: "Yes!"

"Oh, right!" Liu Chengyou raised a finger and added a very serious instruction: "The soldiers who died or were wounded must be compiled into registers and properly compensated. This matter is entrusted to you and Xiang Xun. The soldiers shed blood and lost their lives—we must do right by them!"

The two exchanged another glance and bowed together: "Yes!"

"Your Highness, Administrative Assistant Gao and Zezhou Prefect Zhai Lingqi have brought men north!" No sooner had Liu Chengyou's order to reward the troops been issued, amid the jubilation of the various camps, than a guard came forward to report to Liu Chengyou.

Subconsciously glancing at the dimming sky, a hint of amusement curled at the corner of Liu Chengyou's mouth. It was already this late—Zhai Lingqi was only just arriving.

South of Gaoping city, a procession of large and small carts came from the south, traveling in the dark. Leading them was none other than Administrative Assistant Gao Fang. Beside him was a middle-aged man with a goatee, dressed in an official robe with great care, a hint of humble deference in his brow—none other than Zezhou Prefect Zhai Lingqi.

Beneath the southern gate, gazing at the wide-open city gates and the two rows of soldiers standing with drawn blades under the torchlight, Zhai Lingqi seemed startled by the display.

Gao Fang, however, nimbly dismounted from his horse and stepped forward to bow: "How could I trouble Your Highness to welcome us in person?"

Hearing this, Zhai Lingqi belatedly reacted, and somewhat flustered, followed forward and said with humble deference: "Your subordinate, Zezhou Prefect Zhai Lingqi, pays respects to Your Highness."

Liu Chengyou stood beneath the city gate and personally helped Gao Fang up, speaking in a very gentle manner: "Administrative Assistant Gao, no need for ceremony. This time, you are a great contributor. Without losing a single soldier, you persuaded Zezhou to come over, cutting off the Liao army's retreat—only then could our forces annihilate the enemy completely."

Gao Fang clearly had a good sense of his own place. He made a modest bow and said with a light smile: "Striking and breaking the enemy was all Your Highness's planning, and the soldiers' merit from fighting in blood. How would your subordinate dare claim the credit?"

Seeing Gao Fang still so cautious and solemn, Liu Chengyou waved his hand and turned his attention to Zhai Lingqi: "Governor Zhai!"

"Your Highness!" The prefect bowed even lower.

"The Governor put the greater interests of the state first, understood the great righteousness of the nation, and brought his prefecture to submit—truly a man of steadfast loyalty and purity, inspiring admiration!" Liu Chengyou offered some words of praise.

"Your subordinate dare not! I merely, as a subject of this nation, did not wish to see the people under my governance sink beneath the iron hooves of the barbarian invaders—I acted from my heart..." Observing Liu Chengyou's expression, Zhai Lingqi felt somewhat guilty and hastily spoke up to echo him.

In his own heart, he knew perfectly well that all this talk of great righteousness and the greater situation was complete nonsense—he had simply been cajoled and stirred up by Gao Fang. In fact, after raising the banner of righteousness at Jincheng yesterday, once he had calmed down, he had begun to regret it somewhat.

But having taken the first step, there was no turning back. Still, he had not dared to follow Gao Fang's wishes and lead Zezhou's soldiers, civilians, and able-bodied men north to aid the fighting; instead, he had held the prefectural city steady. Toward Gao Fang, there was also a hint of placing him under soft house arrest.

Only today, when news came from the north that the Hedong army had won a great victory, the Liao army had been completely wiped out, and Geng Chongmei was dead—only then did Zhai Lingqi hurriedly gather wine, meat, and grain at Jincheng, and bring men to escort supplies north to reward the troops.

However, Jincheng was some fifty or sixty li from Gaoping. By the time everything was prepared and transported north, night had already fallen.

Sweeping his gaze around, Liu Chengyou said lightly: "The Governor has come all the way north—you must be weary."

Perhaps due to a lack of confidence, Zhai Lingqi still felt uneasy in his heart. He subconsciously raised a hand to wipe the fine sweat from his forehead, then suddenly seemed to react, pointing at the convoy behind him: "Your Highness, the soldiers fought hard. Your subordinate has specially prepared grain, flour, meat, and vegetables as provisions for rewarding them."

"Governor Zhai has been thoughtful—I will not stand on ceremony!" The moment his words ceased, Liu Chengyou immediately picked up the thread, lightly waved toward Xiang Xun, and ordered: "Take the supplies into the army and distribute them to the various camps!"

"Yes!"

"I am just about to hold a victory banquet in the city. Since Governor Zhai has come, you may as well attend the feast as well!" After giving the order, Liu Chengyou said to Zhai Lingqi.

"It would be my great honor!" Zhai Lingqi's face immediately lit up with delight.

On the way into the city, Liu Chengyou "warmly" consulted Zhai Lingqi on matters of Zezhou. But his tone was too flat, making the Governor somewhat flustered—he took it as displeasure over his "hedging between two sides" and very cooperatively explained the situation of Zezhou in full.

Originally, Liu Chengyou had not thought much of this man—his trembling, timid, and overly cautious demeanor was too weak and cowardly. However, when the man spoke of Zezhou's conditions—population, taxes, farmland, mountain forests... local customs, state governance, and people's livelihood—he recited them like treasures from his own home, which greatly changed Liu Chengyou's impression.

"This Zhai Lingqi..." Quietly, Liu Chengyou summoned Gao Fang to his side and asked in an unfathomable tone.

"Your Highness, please rest assured." Having apparently guessed something of Liu Chengyou's thoughts, Gao Fang said in a low voice: "This Zhai Lingqi, though lacking in courage, is not a foolish man. Having already killed the Khitan envoy and submitted in surrender, there is certainly no path back."

Liu Chengyou nodded but said nothing more.

That night, Liu Chengyou held a grand victory banquet at Gaoping, and all the officers, commanders, and officials rejoiced together.

The next day, at Guo Rong's reminder, Liu Chengyou sent Li Wanchao to lead the Suirui Army into the countryside to hunt down and wipe out scattered remnants of the Liao army hiding in villages, with the newly expanded cavalry units assisting. Having only won the day before, with all manner of affairs in turmoil, this had been overlooked.

Those scattered Yan troops, in large and small bands, numbered some two thousand or more. Though they were defeated soldiers reduced to bandits, running rampant and plaguing the countryside, if not cleaned up, they would certainly cause severe damage to the localities. Since he had thought of it, Liu Chengyou naturally would not let it go.

At the same time, once the elation of the great victory had passed, Liu Chengyou began to settle his mind and summarize the gains and losses of this battle.

Overall, it was a full harvest.

The set objectives had been taken without the slightest effort, more than four thousand Liao soldiers had been completely annihilated, and Geng Chongmei's head had been claimed. The army had been expanded, his power had grown, and his reputation had been established.

Even Zezhou, beyond the original plan, had submitted its entire prefecture just like Luzhou.

With Zezhou taken, the neighboring territory was the three prefectures of Heyang. Across Heyang lay the Western Capital, Luoyang. Liu Chengyou suddenly realized that in destroying Geng Chongmei, his several thousand troops had stirred up quite a commotion—this could almost directly threaten the He-Luo region.

He just didn't know how great an impact this battle would have, and how the Khitan would react.

Liu Chengyou suddenly became aware that if this provoked Yelu Deguang into sending troops to attack—it wouldn't take many, just a few tens of thousands of cavalry and infantry—how would he deal with it?