Chapter 641: The Dispute in the Shu Court

In the palace gardens, a whole row of apricot trees shed their leaves, withered yellow foliage drifting down in a desultory cascade. The scene between heaven and earth was one of bleakness; chill winds swept through, the atmosphere somber and forlorn. Early winter in Chengdu was not particularly cold—at least, it was far warmer than the mood of the Shu sovereign, Meng Chang.

In the main hall of governance, braziers had already been lit to ward off the chill, for the Shu sovereign Meng Chang had always feared cold and dreaded heat. The atmosphere within the hall was tense and oppressive; several military and civil ministers kept their heads bowed in silence. Even Wang Zhaoyuan, the Commissioner of Military Affairs, who on ordinary days was always brimming with vigor, pointing at the realm and discoursing endlessly, was silent.

"Why has everyone fallen silent?" Meng Chang sat at the imperial desk, sweeping his gaze over the assembled ministers with an indignant expression. "How are we to respond to the incursion of the Han army? With the nation in crisis, is there no one to share my worries? Can no one produce a plan to repel the enemy?"

Facing the Emperor's interrogation, Wang Zhaoyuan, who had long been in charge of military and state affairs, finally stepped forward, cupping his hands in salute: "Your Majesty need not worry. I have already mobilized troops to garrison Jianmen and Jiameng; with their strategic passes, we can surely hold the Han army beyond the frontier!"

"Not worry? The war has deteriorated to this state—how can I not worry?" Meng Chang's face was full of fury. "Before the defeat at Fengzhou, did you not also say the passes were strong and the roads impassable? And what was the result? Sixty to seventy thousand troops were utterly annihilated by the Han army! Though Jiange is perilous, can you guarantee to me that you can hold back the Han army? And is Xingyuan Prefecture simply to be abandoned?"

Seeing Meng Chang's agitation and facing his rebuke, Wang Zhaoyuan felt both shame and indignation. He thought Meng Chang had completely lost his composure, and could not help but say: "Your Majesty, the defeat at Fengzhou was truly due to the cunning and viciousness of the Han army, compounded by the prolonged campaign, which caused our generals to lose their vigilance. At present, generals Li Tinggui, Zhao Chongtao, and Han Baozhen have withdrawn to defend Xingyuan Prefecture. The routed troops from the front, together with the Xingyuan garrison and the five thousand imperial army troops sent as northern reinforcements, have already been fortifying walls and constructing bulwarks at Xicheng to block the Han army!

Though the Han army won a great victory at Qinfeng, they too have been fighting for months—their soldiers are weary, their horses spent, their people exhausted, and they need to rest and regroup. Now that winter has arrived, if the Han army advances south again, the roads are long and difficult, and their supplies of grain and equipment will only become harder to sustain. Moreover, the Han forces now advancing south against Xingyuan Prefecture are not numerous. Therefore, when our army pulls back and consolidates at Xingyuan Prefecture, our defensive position will actually be better than at Fengzhou!"

This speech of Wang Zhaoyuan's was, in truth, merely meant to soothe Meng Chang's anxieties—it could not escape being armchair strategy. And what Meng Chang needed was only a calming pill.

"Can we hold against the Han army's offensive?" After pondering for a long while, Meng Chang stared at Wang Zhaoyuan and asked.

Meeting the Emperor's gaze, which clearly carried a measure of hope, Wang Zhaoyuan fell silent. The ever-confident and resourceful Commissioner Wang found himself unable to give Meng Chang a definitive answer at this moment.

Hesitating for a moment, a phrase seemed to flash through Wang Zhaoyuan's mind—"commissioned in times of peril, appointed in the wake of defeat." A look of solemnity and resolve appeared on his face, and he gritted his teeth as he said to Meng Chang: "Should the Han army launch a full-scale invasion, I will personally lead troops northward and repel the enemy beyond the passes!"

Wang Zhaoyuan's words rang with conviction, and Meng Chang unconsciously let out a breath of relief. Since the Battle of Liangquan, reports of defeat had come thick and fast; the situation in the north had deteriorated day by day, cities and territories lost, the Shu army retreating again and again.

Here in the Chengdu court, the atmosphere had grown more tense with each passing day, and for Meng Chang, it was even harder to bear. All the ministers in court were in a state of panic and disarray, yet none could step forward and take responsibility. Now, at least there was still a Wang Zhaoyuan...

Letting out a sigh, Meng Chang looked around the hall and said gravely: "Ministers, now that the Northern Han has invaded, with strong armies attacking our passes, the nation faces a crisis—truly a moment of survival or ruin for the state. My father and I entered Sichuan thirty years ago, nurturing the scholars and people. With foreign aggression upon us, I earnestly hope that the entire court, from top to bottom, can unite in heart and mind, stand together against the enemy, and weather this crisis together!"

"Yes!" Since the Emperor had spoken thus, the assembled Shu ministers naturally echoed in unison.

"The situation in the north is difficult now, but however difficult, we must respond actively. If we continue to do nothing, it will not be long before the Han army arrives at the gates of Chengdu!" Meng Chang's expression was severe, his emotions agitated.

"Your Majesty, I believe the most urgent task is to reorganize the troops and stabilize military morale!" Wang Zhaoyuan stepped forward, his bearing showing a restored spirit, and declared in a clear voice.

"How do we stabilize military morale?" Meng Chang asked.

A trace of coldness appeared in Wang Zhaoyuan's eyes as he said: "Your Majesty entrusted the realm's elite troops to Li Tinggui, yet he has lost battle after battle, squandering our army and disgracing the nation. He should be arrested and held accountable, to uphold military law and steady the people's hearts!"

Hearing Wang Zhaoyuan's words, Meng Chang's emotions also rose, and he could not help but wave his hand, saying with a stern expression: "In the Battle of Donghe Village two years ago, though he was defeated, he still knew to fight the enemy with valor. I, in consideration of his loyalty, did not punish him severely and even gave him the chance to atone for his crimes through merit.

This time, with fifty thousand troops in hand and no shortage of weapons, supplies, or pay, he could neither break the enemy when advancing nor hold the passes when retreating. Defeat after defeat has instead invited the Han army to invade the south.

Send an envoy northward to bind Li Tinggui and bring him to the capital for trial!"

"That cannot be!" At this moment, the chief minister Li Hao spoke up, dissuading Meng Chang: "Your Majesty, now that the Northern Han army has invaded in force, Li Tinggui is still doing his utmost to construct defensive lines against the enemy. At a time like this, how can we lightly seize the commander? Moreover, the defeat at Qinfeng was not entirely his fault..."

Before Li Hao could finish, Wang Zhaoyuan cut him off: "Ridiculous! Li Tinggui is the supreme commander of the army; his poor performance in battle has cost us all of Shu's elite troops, and Chancellor Li actually makes excuses for him—what is your intention? Could it be that you are colluding with him, having taken his bribes?"

Seeing Wang Zhaoyuan turn the fire on him, the veteran minister Li Hao grew angry and glared at him, saying: "Li Tinggui certainly bears responsibility, but Commissioner Wang, you hold the reins of military affairs, managing the entire nation's military, dispatching troops and appointing generals—the northern defenses were also largely carried out under your orders. Commissioner Wang, you strategized from within the command tent—do you bear no responsibility at all for the defeat at Qinfeng?

I have heard that our army, on the Bureau of Military Affairs' orders, took the initiative to strike out, attempting to cut off the Han army's retreat, only to be detected by them and ambushed, suffering defeat. This caused heavy losses to our forces and the collapse of the defensive line. In this matter, does the Commissioner bear no fault?"

"You!" Seeing Li Hao attack him openly in court, Wang Zhaoyuan was instantly enraged: "I am in Chengdu—how could I possibly control a war a thousand li away? The court made the decisions; Li Tinggui failed to execute them properly and ruined my strategy..."

"The plan was yours, the blame falls on others—is this Commissioner Wang's sense of responsibility?" Li Hao could not help but mock.

"Enough!" Seeing the two arguing on the spot, Meng Chang grew impatient: "I did not come here to listen to your quarrels! The matter of the sortie was approved by me before the order was issued. By Minister Li's reasoning, is the blame on me?"

Meeting Meng Chang's icy gaze, Li Hao was slightly startled and hastily bowed: "I would not dare!"

But in his heart, he felt even more helpless—to this extent, Meng Chang still relied on Wang Zhaoyuan.

Taking a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions, Meng Chang looked toward Wang Zhaoyuan: "What plans does the Bureau of Military Affairs have?"

Wang Zhaoyuan, who had indeed been making preparations, replied: "I believe that since winter has arrived, no matter how formidable the Han army's fighting strength, they cannot defy the season and advance. At Xingyuan Prefecture, we need only order the various armies to hold fast to the city passes and strategic mountain terrain, dragging things out through this winter.

At the same time, we should conscript and train new troops within the realm to replenish our losses and maintain our military strength. I intend, during this winter, to concentrate able-bodied men from the prefectures and counties of the two circuits, adjust the defensive deployment, and newly conscript fifty thousand stout warriors!"

"The matter of new troops must be set in motion immediately!" Meng Chang declared at once.

"Yes!"

The Battle of Qinfeng had dealt too heavy a blow to the Shu state's military strength. Combined with the two previous defeats, the standing army of the Meng Shu had nearly been rotated out entirely over these years. At a time like this, regardless of combat effectiveness, raising the numbers was what mattered most.

"Your Majesty!" Li Hao spoke up again: "Since the start of this war, the court has mobilized a million in grain and funds; this year's two taxes have been nearly exhausted. If we launch another great mobilization, I fear the state treasury cannot sustain it, and the front lines still need money and grain. Conscripting so many more troops and drawing on the people's labor will inevitably harm the people's livelihood..."

"Without an army, how do we repel the Han, how do we defend the borders? Are we to simply let the Han army break through the passes?" This time, before Wang Zhaoyuan could speak, Meng Chang himself refuted Li Hao.

His old face slightly unable to maintain composure, Li Hao hesitated briefly, then cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, the Battle of Qinfeng has shown the strength of the Han army. Now that the Northern Han has already retaken four prefectures, why not heed the suggestion of the King of Nanping and send an envoy to the Northern Han to cease hostilities and negotiate peace!"

Indeed, upon learning of the outcome of the Qinfeng campaign, the Great Han's "loyal" little brother, the King of Nanping, Gao Baorong, had taken the initiative to write a letter and send a messenger to Chengdu, suggesting that Meng Chang submit to the Northern Han as a vassal and pay tribute to ensure peace.

Hearing Li Hao's words, Meng Chang kept a cold face, seemingly unchanged, but in truth his heart was already somewhat moved. Fighting the Han army to the bitter end, with defeat after defeat, Meng Chang simply did not have that confidence or ambition.

Meng Chang said nothing, but Wang Zhaoyuan gave two cold laughs and said: "The war has developed to this point—how can we easily cease? Given the Han Emperor's domineering nature and greed, what price would our court have to pay before the Northern Han would stop? Even if we grovel and beg for a truce and peace, how long could we survive in such a humiliating state?"

"Your Majesty, though our court has suffered heavy losses, our foundations remain. We can still fight with all our strength against the Northern Han! Only by repelling the Han army can Your Majesty truly secure lasting peace!" Wang Zhaoyuan said to Meng Chang with solemnity.