Chapter 638: Discoursing on the Realm

"After the Battle of East River Village two years ago, Your Majesty adopted the strategy of exhausting the Shu, stationing troops at the border, drilling the army and preparing for war, luring the Meng Shu to mobilize their forces and come out, with grain, money, and military equipment hauled over mountains and ridges. Before and after the hard fighting at Fengzhou, it cost our dynasty no small amount, but cost the Meng Shu twice as much. Now we have broken them in a single battle, fully achieving the original objective!" Noting the look of interest in the Emperor's eyes, Zhao Pu organized his words slightly and spoke slowly:

"The Meng Shu formerly sealed itself off in central Sichuan, cutting off external disturbances and cultivating internal governance. It was self-sufficient, and its scholars and people enjoyed peace. Now, a wise sovereign has emerged, and the Great Han has risen mightily in the Central Plains. Once its gates are opened, it can no longer preserve the peace of those years. Your minister's meaning in speaking of throwing Shu into chaos is that after its stability and balance are broken, we should adopt measures to intensify the military and political disorder within, and drive its people's hearts toward estrangement and loss.

When the time comes to send troops southward, we will have a just cause for the campaign, rescuing the people from fire and water. After Shu is destroyed, we then govern Shu, briefly implementing benevolent policies. In this way, winning over the hearts of the Shu people will also be easier..."

"First throw Shu into chaos, then destroy Shu, then govern Shu!" Liu Chengyou tilted his head, his gaze carrying a hint of amusement as he looked at the refined and upright Zhao Pu, saying: "Such schemes lack openness and righteousness!"

Zhao Pu's expression did not change. He cupped his hands and said: "When plotting for one's sovereign, if it benefits the state, why begrudge the means?"

"Heh heh..." Liu Chengyou could not help but laugh, revealing his good mood, and said: "How do we throw Shu into chaos?"

Hearing the Emperor ask this, Zhao Pu's spirits lifted slightly—clearly Liu Chengyou was intrigued. After a moment's deliberation, he spoke slowly: "Your Majesty, as I said before, Shu was able to secure its own peace by cutting itself off from the Central Plains and sealing its borders. Now the Great Han employs its might and has dealt them successive defeats. For Shu, with external peril at the doorstep, internal upheaval is certain to arise.

I have roughly drafted several strategies for throwing Shu into chaos. First, continue to station troops at the border, forcing the Meng Shu to exhaust its national strength in conscripting soldiers, forging weapons, and strengthening military preparedness. Second, many of Shu's court officials are greedy and base; we can buy them with heavy gold to serve our dynasty and implement policies of disorder. Third, among Shu's prefectural and county officials, we can select those who are treacherous and profit-seeking, buy them and control them, corrupting their governance and harming their people. Fourth, we can send agents into Shu to spread rumors widely and disturb the people's hearts. Fifth, Shu mints mostly iron coins; we can privately forge iron coins to circulate in Chuanshu while collecting their copper vessels..."

"Zhao Pu, ah, each of your strategies exhausts Shu's national strength, corrupts its governance, and harms its people. Hearing this, even I feel a chill down my spine!" Turning his head to look at Zhao Pu, Liu Chengyou remarked: "If someone were to use these methods against our Great Han, I fear we would be hard-pressed to defend against them!"

Zhao Pu was slightly taken aback. Noting the Emperor's indifferent gaze, he felt a shiver of alarm within, realizing he had overdone it, that his strategies were too venomous. Under the weight of his rich inner turmoil, a thin sheen of cold sweat broke out on Zhao Pu's forehead.

"Your Majesty, the strategies I present are formulated according to the conditions of the Chuanshu state. Signs of Shu's political disorder have long existed. My original intention was merely to push the waves and stir the current. If their sovereign were wise and their ministers worthy, then even exhausting every scheme would be powerless to shake them in the slightest, and I could only advise Your Majesty to smash through their passes with strong troops..."

"You need not be nervous!" Hearing his explanation, Liu Chengyou's furrowed brow relaxed, and he waved a hand, saying: "I merely spoke from feeling! I also believe that the strategies you have presented will surely prove effective!"

After pondering for a moment, Liu Chengyou said to Zhao Pu: "Very well, since this proposal was presented by you, let you take the lead in executing it. How about that?"

"Your minister obeys the command!" Almost without a moment's thought, Zhao Pu replied, and at last a hint of excitement crept into his brow.

On matters of trimming the feudal domains, reclaiming military power, and centralizing authority, Zhao Pu originally had his own ideas and remonstrations to offer. However, the awkward truth was that Liu Chengyou had already done these things ahead of him and was already in the final stages.

Therefore, since entering court and serving before the throne, Zhao Pu had been constantly considering from where to begin offering counsel, to display his talents and establish merit. With internal affairs temporarily stable and Liu Chengyou having done consistently well—filling gaps and correcting shortcomings whenever found—after much deliberation, the only field where he could make achievements was in the external affairs of pacifying the south. And since the state was currently engaged in the campaign against Shu, how to scheme against the Shu state became the subject of Zhao Pu's intense rumination.

"You may consider how to begin, but when it is actually implemented and unfolded will depend on how the Qinfeng campaign ultimately concludes!" Liu Chengyou tilted his head back slightly and said leisurely: "Wait for the battle reports from the front!"

"Your Majesty, your minister believes that regardless of how the campaign goes, it can proceed," Zhao Pu replied with confidence. "Indeed, it need not be applied only to the Meng Shu—all the other separatist states in the south can follow this model!"

"It seems that Minister Zhao's vision is not limited to Chuanshu, but spans the whole realm—a truly far-reaching perspective!" Liu Chengyou looked at Zhao Pu, praising him, his gaze full of approval.

To this, Zhao Pu naturally expressed a measure of modesty.

His gaze once again fell upon that map of Qinfeng, his eyes gradually deepening, and he said softly to Zhang Dejun: "Send word down—the four prefectures of Qinfeng now belong to the Great Han. Update the maps according to their cities, fortresses, and roads!"

"Yes!"

"If I follow your advice and delay the pace of destroying Shu, how should strategy be carried out during this year or so?" After considering for a while, Liu Chengyou asked Zhao Pu.

Facing the Emperor's inquiry, Zhao Pu seemed to expend little mental effort, and answered with ease and composure: "Your minister believes that Your Majesty might now take Jinghu!"

"Has the time come?" Liu Chengyou raised an eyebrow.

"Once Qinfeng is recovered, the time naturally comes!" Zhao Pu answered just as crisply.

From the very beginning, the basic objective of this campaign against Shu had been merely to retake the four prefectures of Qinfeng, to relieve the Great Han's geographical disadvantage in the southwest, to consolidate the frontier, and incidentally to weaken the Later Shu's strength. As it turned out, after months of hard fighting, the objective had been exceeded, and so it was again time for Liu Chengyou to make choices and decisions.

As for Jinghu, this belly of the realm, Liu Chengyou had long coveted it and kept it in his heart. For he knew the importance of taking it—once Jinghu fell, it would throttle the Yangtze, allowing him to march west to destroy the Later Shu, advance south to pacify the false Liu, and push east to take the Southern Tang. That would be truly crouching like a tiger in the Central Plains, gazing upon the whole realm.

"Jingnan is small in territory and sparse in population—breaking it would not be difficult! Yet although the Gao clan is base and stingy, they have been fairly submissive to the court. Especially Gao Baorong—since succeeding to the position, his annual tribute and congratulatory gifts have never diminished, and he has never defied the court's edicts. How could I bear to seize his lands?" Though Liu Chengyou's expression was calm, his words and tone betrayed insincerity and words that did not match his heart.

Zhao Pu smiled slightly and said: "Although the Gao clan is submissive, it is merely offering filial piety to seek self-preservation given the Great Han's strength and dominance in the north. Moreover, the lands of Jingnan are Your Majesty's lands, and the people of Jingnan are Your Majesty's people. They have been temporarily entrusted to the Gao clan's hands for many years; now to take them back is the will of heaven and the hearts of men.

Furthermore, although the Gao clan is law-abiding, the Zhou clan has become estranged from the court and secretly harbors divergent ambitions. If Your Majesty is concerned about a pretext for sending troops, you may begin from Hunan..."

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou could not help but examine Zhao Pu with a couple more glances, and with a sigh of emotion, said: "Zhao Pu, how is it that whenever you present counsel and strategies, you always speak straight to my heart?"

To this question, Zhao Pu did not dare answer carelessly. He lowered his head with a measure of caution and said: "Your minister is fond of pondering things in daily life. Having the fortune to serve before the throne, participating in military and political deliberations, and receiving much instruction from Your Majesty, my policy proposals naturally contain much of Your Majesty's strategic vision..."

Liu Chengyou laughed again, nodding as he said: "Among all the civil and military officials at court, there are few who can discourse with me on past and present and speak freely of the realm. You, Zhao Pu, are one of them!"

"Your Majesty flatters me!"

This Zhao Pu truly was a talent.

"Your Majesty, a report from Kunning Hall—His Majesty is about to give birth!" At this moment, a palace eunuch hurried in to report.

Liu Chengyou rose abruptly upon hearing this, without a moment's pause, and went straight to Kunning Hall. After ten months of pregnancy, Empress Fu was finally about to give birth once more. By the time Liu Chengyou arrived, Kunning Hall was already in that familiar scene of tense bustle.

However, having already experienced this many times, and with the elder Lady Fu carrying her second child, Liu Chengyou remained calm, waiting outside while conversing with the Empress Dowager, who had arrived earlier.

"I heard the front won a victory?" Rarely, Lady Li showed concern for military and political affairs.

As for the Empress Dowager Li, Liu Chengyou was by now largely assured she would not interfere in governance. Hearing her question, he brightened his expression and said: "Indeed, we won a great victory!"

Lady Li nodded gently, a smile on her kind and benevolent face, saying: "A great victory at the front, and the Empress giving birth to a son—double blessings at the door. Heaven protects you!"

"Mother speaks truly!" Liu Chengyou replied casually: "Perhaps I should perform the suburban sacrifice again..."