Chapter 590: The Guo-Li Dispute

Under the gaze of Zhe, Guo, and Li, Liu Chengyou rose, clasped his hands behind his back, and paced. After pondering for a long while, he said directly: "Regarding the matter of Hunan, we shall follow what Minister Li has memorialized. Draft an edict and send it to Hunan, proclaiming it to Zhou Xingfeng and Zhang Wenbiao!"

"Yes!"

Liu Chengyou then turned his gaze to the three men, and in a steady tone tinged with a hint of inquiry, said: "Now, another question lies before the Great Han. I must make a choice — take Jinghu first, or strike at Qinfeng first?"

Hearing the Emperor's words, all fell into thought. Zhe Congruan had no intention of speaking, and it was Guo Rong who opened his mouth first: "The court has already set the grand strategy; it should not be lightly altered. At the Fengxiang front, the court has already invested a great amount of troops, grain, and military equipment, all in preparation for the great battle at Qinfeng."

"The Shu state has likewise massed heavy forces at Qin and Feng. War may break out at any unexpected moment. Even if Zhou Xingfeng unifies Hunan, the court should not divert its attention to Hunan, let alone commit troops there!"

Guo Rong's words made his stance very clear — Qinfeng should be taken first. Liu Chengyou asked: "How many men does the Shu army have now?"

"Counting the newly transferred five thousand troops of the Luansu Guard, they already exceed thirty thousand! The Shu sovereign also has twenty thousand troops stationed at Xingyuan, ready at any time to cross the Qinling Mountains in support!" Guo Rong said.

Nodding, Liu Chengyou sighed: "It seems the effect is not bad. Most of the elite troops remaining to the Meng Shu are now concentrated on the northern front. If we can annihilate them, I fear there won't be many usable troops left within their borders!"

"Indeed!" Guo Rong responded: "Since the founding of the Great Han, grinding battles with the Meng Shu in the southwest have been like cutting flesh and letting blood. The two battles at Jifeng Mountain and Donghe Village wounded their body, but they could still staunch the wound. What we plot now, however, is to sever their artery and not stop until the blood is spent — preparing for the future war of annihilation against their state!"

Liu Chengyou nodded slightly but said no more, looking toward Li Chuyun. Sure enough, after a moment's hesitation and a glance at the stern-faced Guo Rong, Li Chuyun still spoke: "Your Majesty, regarding the Qinfeng strategy, I have no objection. It's just that I feel, after such a great battle, if we achieve our objectives, the Meng Shu will naturally be weakened. But if we wish to go from north to south to destroy Shu, there are countless perilous passes and barriers — destroying them easily will still not be simple."

"If we can take Jinghu, advance on two routes, and echo each other from afar, that would be the best offensive strategy for our dynasty! As it stands now, the situation in Hunan is ripe for planning. If we can take Jinghu with ease, it would greatly benefit our strategy!"

"Not so. Hunan has now gone from chaos to order. Using Zhang Wenbiao to contain Zhou Xingfeng and prevent him from growing further is sufficient. The court should still focus exclusively on the Qinfeng matter. Trying to attend to both ends, I fear, will leave both empty! Moreover, once the Qinfeng matter is concluded, plotting to take Jinghu afterward will not be too late!"

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but glance at Guo Rong. He rarely sought stability like this — it was somewhat uncommon. Li Chuyun, by contrast, was aggressively enterprising, his ambition for achievement quite evident.

Li Chuyun's suggestion was clearly on the aggressive side. Of course, if it succeeded, the gains would also be enormous.

"Your Majesty, at present the Great Han enjoys stable livelihoods and strong troops and horses. As time passes, the state's power will only grow stronger. At that point, we will be fully capable of fighting on two fronts, taking Jinghu with ease. The target of our aim is also the Meng Shu — this can serve as a supplement to the grand strategy of destroying Shu. Working both ends simultaneously is not necessarily impossible!"

The moment Li Chuyun finished speaking, Guo Rong's brow sank slightly and his expression turned somewhat cold as he said: "A fine 'working both ends simultaneously'! I only fear that primary and secondary will become confused, and great matters will be delayed! Though Hunan is exhausted and impoverished, that Zhou Xingfeng is no easy opponent. What's more worrisome is that the Great Han's surroundings are not all peace and harmony — the Khitan, the Tangut, and their ilk must never be neglected even for a moment."

"The Great Han of today no longer needs to take risky, aggressive actions. If we can advance steadily according to strategy and flatten the realm step by step, why the haste!"

Being tagged with the label of "hasty" by Guo Rong, Li Chuyun was somewhat unconvinced, but he did not dare contend with him excessively. He merely looked toward the Emperor.

"I have fully understood the intentions of you two ministers! This is merely a casual discussion between sovereign and ministers. The grand strategy already set by the court involves much that is interconnected up and down; naturally, it will not be lightly changed. But circumstances change at all times, and military and political strategy must also adapt to the times and move with the currents. In matters of temple planning, having one more layer of consideration is not a bad thing!" Seeing that Guo and Li seemed to be in somewhat tense spirits, Liu Chengyou smiled slightly and said.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

At this point, Zhe Congruan also spoke: "This old minister believes what Your Majesty said is quite right. As for the matter of Jinghu, we can simply have Cao Yin and the Military Intelligence Bureau increase their monitoring and investigation, and act when the opportunity arises. Back then, when the Ma clan fell into internal strife, the Tang took it with thirty thousand troops — and what was the result? It is still as if it happened yesterday. We must take it as a warning. Now Zhou Xingfeng's power is rising. This man, though harsh and violent, is also quite resourceful. Compared to before, he is even harder to deal with. We must not take him lightly or underestimate the difficulty of taking Jinghu!"

"The false Tang took Chu and then lost it — that was because their sovereign and ministers were insatiably greedy, arrogant in their achievements, and Bian Hao failed in governing, so the scholars and people would not submit. But our Great Han has a wise sovereign and worthy ministers — how could we repeat that mistake!" Li Chuyun could not help saying.

"Enough!" Liu Chengyou gave Li Chuyun a deep look, then waved his hand and said: "Let us end today's discussion here for now!"

Before leaving, Liu Chengyou said to Zhe Congruan and Guo Rong: "Once the reorganization of the southwestern forces is complete, I intend to have Xiang Xun, while drilling and preparing troops at Fengxiang, Longyou, and Jingyuan, also implement military farming — cultivating the land on site to supplement military supplies! The Bureau of Military Affairs may deliberate on this and first draft a regulation for trial implementation. I will have the relevant offices and local governments cooperate with this matter!"

"Yes!"

If the thirty thousand troops in the southwest were all fully withdrawn from production, even without warfare, it would be no small burden on the court. In fact, military farming already existed in the various border prefectures of the Great Han, and Liu Chengyou also intended to reorganize it and redefine the "military farming system."

After Liu Chengyou left, Zhe Congruan called Li Chuyun over to accompany him on a walk outside.

The rain and snow had stopped. Within the imperial city, the pallor was tinged with added gloom, and the weather had grown colder still. The north wind blew against their faces, stinging painfully. After walking in silence for a while, Zhe Congruan sighed: "Zhengyuan, I know you have always taken merit and fame as your duty, and I know your abilities. But your performance before His Majesty just now still came across as too hasty!"

Hearing this, Li Chuyun responded: "Lord Zhe, I have already passed thirty. Fortunately, I have received your patronage, Lord Zhe, and I dare not fail to devote myself wholeheartedly to repay the kindness of your recognition!"

Zhe Congruan shook his head slightly, looking at him: "I only fear that by contending so directly with Commissioner Guo, you will offend him!"

"All is for the king's service. In planning for the state's grand strategy, differences of opinion are a normal thing. Commissioner Guo has always been grave and composed, selfless and broad-minded. With his magnanimity, I should think he would not bear a grudge over official matters!" Li Chuyun said after a moment's hesitation.

"Commissioner Guo's magnanimity is naturally not small. However, his will is strong. The implementation of the Qinfeng strategy has been largely led and prepared by him. For you to raise the Jinghu strategy at this time is like challenging him to a bout!

Even if you act from public-mindedness, and Commissioner Guo would not harbor jealousy — still, all men have their likes and dislikes, and one cannot rule out the future. With your talent and knowledge, after a few years of experience in the Bureau of Military Affairs, your achievements will be promising. There's no need to be anxious!" Zhe Congruan said in a tone of admonition.

Li Chuyun's expression tightened slightly. He thought seriously for a while, then looked at Zhe Congruan. Seeing the old man's face full of peace, Li Chuyun clasped his hands and said: "I am deeply grateful for your concern, Lord Zhe, and have no way to repay it!"

Reaching out, Zhe Congruan patted his shoulder and said with a light smile: "This old man can see that His Majesty has a rather good impression of you. One day he will surely rely on your talents — the time of great appointment is not far off!"

A hint of joy surfaced on his face. After thinking it over, Li Chuyun quickened his steps to keep pace and asked in a low voice: "I wonder if Lord Zhe can discern — regarding the Jinghu strategy, what attitude does His Majesty actually hold?"

"The sage's intent is hard to fathom. How could the Son of Heaven's thoughts be something you or I can casually speculate? Just do your own work well......"