Chapter 750: The Choice

A smile spread across his face, radiating appreciation as he addressed An Shenqi: "With such a formidable army guarding the northern border, the court can rest easy! With troops like these, no need for many—just ten thousand soldiers, and what worry is there that the northern barbarians won't be subdued, or that our grievances and shame won't be avenged?"

Liu Chengyou's words were merely idle talk, really. Armies have their strong and weak, soldiers their brave and timid. The officers and men who had come to greet him were the cream of the northern forces. If he truly had over ten thousand such troops, he could indeed rely on them for a northern campaign.

To his words, An Shenqi replied calmly: "Your Majesty's lofty ambitions will surely be realized one day!"

"By the way, where has the Yan Prince reached? Has he not yet arrived from the south?" Liu Chengyou asked.

Hearing this, An Shenqi reported: "Yesterday, word came from the sentry posts that the Yan Prince's party had already neared Yongqing. Estimating their pace, they should arrive today!"

When the Emperor toured the northern border, it was only natural that he would summon the Yan Prince, Zhao Kuangzan, for an audience. Moreover, he had issued an edict in advance, summoning the Yan Prince southward, intending to hold a meeting at Waqiao Pass to strengthen their ties. Zhao Kuangzan had evidently complied and was journeying south.

"How many men accompany him?" Liu Chengyou asked.

"A thousand light cavalry!" An Shenqi said. "I have already ordered the passes and garrisons along the route to keep strict watch and remain vigilant against any contingency!"

"No need for that!" Hearing his answer, Liu Chengyou immediately waved his hand: "The Yan Prince has guarded Youzhou for many years; he is a pillar of the state. The Yan soldiers are also sons of the Han army. Such suspicious precautions would only make us seem narrow-minded and arouse his misgivings.

Pass down the order: open the passes and roads, and let the officers and men along the way treat him with sincerity, with no slights or delays. Additionally, I shall send a close minister north to greet him—you assign an officer to serve as guide!"

"Yes!" An Shenqi clasped his hands and flattered: "Your Majesty's breadth of mind and sincere treatment of others fills me with admiration!"

Pausing briefly, An Shenqi said with a frank expression: "Your Majesty, this is not me speaking ill behind someone's back. I have been stationed in the north for two years now, and I have some understanding of Youzhou and the Yan army. Having guarded the passes for many years, they have formed their own independent system. In the early years, when Han and Liao were bitterly hostile and border clashes were constant, Youzhou served as the northern shield, a buffer between Han and Liao, and its contribution was immense. The court was able to gradually plan recovery and focus on affairs in the south.

However, since the fourth year of Qianyou, when the Han-Liao peace agreement was reached, border incidents have decreased and the people have enjoyed peace. Youzhou, straddling between Han and Liao, now plays both sides, wavering between the two. Over the past few years, the Yan Prince has not come to court for years, and his relationship with the court has become distant..."

Rather unusually, An Shenqi had taken the initiative to raise the matter of Youzhou, expressing his concerns. Hearing this, Liu Chengyou's smile faded slightly as he said: "Regarding the Youzhou matter, how could I not know of your concerns, Minister An? But when we originally sent the Zhao father and son to Youyan, we could have foreseen today's situation. Regardless of the relationship between Han and Liao, the contributions of the Yan Prince and Youzhou to the Great Han's northern defense cannot be erased!"

"Your Majesty!" An Shenqi said: "Times have changed, and things are different now. Today's situation is vastly different from those years. For the Great Han, the harm of the Yan army now outweighs its benefit.

I hear that Youzhou now maintains a standing force of ten thousand infantry and cavalry year-round, and the various passes, fortresses, and the two prefectures of Zhuo and Yi are also garrisoned with over ten thousand troops. With less than two hundred thousand people across the three prefectures supporting over twenty thousand soldiers, one could call it militarism. Yet the court still allocates money and grain every year to help sustain their army, which has gradually grown into a tail too big to wag. Moreover, the Yan army's subordinates are mostly arrogant soldiers and fierce generals who show no respect for the court, honoring only the Yan Prince...

I believe that at this time, Your Majesty should make a swift decision and take action against the Yan army to eliminate it, quell the source of trouble, and resolve the concern of the Yan army once and for all. Otherwise, if this continues, it will surely lead to great calamity, and may even affect the overall situation against the Khitan!"

At An Shenqi's lengthy discourse, Liu Chengyou's brows furrowed as he said in a deep voice: "Minister An, with one speech, you have laid bare all the hidden worries in my heart! As you say, pulling one hair moves the whole body. The Khitan have rested for so many years, their national strength growing day by day. The great enemy lies to the north—this is not something to be moved lightly!"

"Precisely because of that, we must not give them the chance to hold leverage over us by relying on the enemy. We can control them now, but who knows what the future holds!" An Shenqi said: "With Your Majesty's wisdom, you surely see the Youyan matter as clearly as fire. I beg you to make an early decision!"

"In your view, Minister An, how should I resolve this?" Liu Chengyou asked with a slight smile, looking at An Shenqi. To be honest, even though he had been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Front with authority over all the armies, this was truly the first time An Shenqi had taken the initiative to offer him counsel and strategy for state and military affairs.

An Shenqi said in a resolute tone: "The weight of the Yan army lies first in the Yan Prince. His sons are still young, and aside from him, there is no one who can take charge. Since he is coming south on your summons to pay respects, why not take the opportunity to detain him, then swiftly dispatch troops northward. While they are leaderless, seize Youzhou with lightning speed and crush the Yan army!"

"Minister An, this plan of yours would have me break faith with others!" Liu Chengyou sighed at his counsel: "If we follow this plan, the Yan Prince might be captured, but eliminating the Yan army and smoothly taking over the three prefectures of Youyan is no easy matter. The slightest misstep would throw Youyan into chaos. Even if we succeed, the balance maintained in the north for so many years would be shattered. And if the deed is not done cleanly enough, inviting Khitan intervention, the situation would become even more unpredictable..."

"To accept a small disturbance today in order to settle the great trend of the future—I beg Your Majesty to weigh the pros and cons carefully!" An Shenqi said solemnly.

Hearing his words, Liu Chengyou did not respond immediately but fell into deep thought, clearly weighing the pros and cons. And An Shenqi could sense from Liu Chengyou's tone that he was in fact tempted, merely concerned about the repercussions, concerned about the greater picture of years of peace in the north. Once that step was taken, the situation at the northern frontier would change abruptly.

As for summoning the Yan Prince south for a meeting and then suddenly springing a trap—though it bore the taint of treachery and broken faith, it was always a secondary consideration. For a sovereign like Liu Chengyou, pros and cons were the standard by which decisions were made.

Regarding the Youyan matter, it was not limited to Youzhou alone. The Khitan's attitude and reaction were also factors to consider, and the Khitan side was beyond control...

Seeing the Emperor remain silent, An Shenqi spoke again: "I can somewhat appreciate Your Majesty's concerns. But regardless, the Yan Prince and the Yan army must be restricted and weakened, lest they continue to grow in power!"

Hearing An Shenqi say this, Liu Chengyou's gaze sharpened as he said coldly: "If the court makes any move, any hint of changing course, it will surely arouse the Yan Prince's suspicion and fear. Either we do nothing, or we do it thoroughly—resolve the problem with the force of a thunderbolt, quelling the disturbance in the shortest time and the smallest scope!"

At the Emperor's declaration, An Shenqi felt slight surprise and inwardly marveled that the Great Han Emperor's judgment was indeed outstanding, his view of problems sharp and penetrating, hitting the mark precisely.

After considering for a moment, Liu Chengyou raised his hand to stop An Shenqi, who was about to speak further, and said: "I fully understand your meaning, Minister An. Say no more—let me think it over!"

"Yes!" Seeing this, An Shenqi clasped his hands in salute.

"Besides, the Yan Prince has not yet arrived, so this matter is still idle talk!" Liu Chengyou suddenly added in a light tone.

An Shenqi's eyes brightened slightly at this. The Son of Heaven's words, understood from another angle, meant that once the Yan Prince arrived, there would be room for action...

The sovereign and minister exchanged no further words. An Shenqi sat upright and solemn, while Liu Chengyou fell into deep deliberation. To be honest, regarding the Youyan problem, how could he, as Emperor, not have a plan in mind? Over the years, he had kept constant watch on the development of the three prefectures of Youyan, the situation of the Yan army, and Zhao Kuangzan's political leanings. He had placed so many people in Youzhou—they weren't there just to eat idle rice.

It could be said that every move and change in Youzhou was under the court's surveillance. But precisely because of this, Liu Chengyou found it thorny. Years of infiltration and arrangement had indeed borne fruit, but it was still far from achieving an overturning effect.

Youzhou was, in essence, a military government. The core lay in the army, and infiltrating the Yan army was not easy. Buying off, dividing, and disintegrating was delicate work—it needed to show results while avoiding backlash...

After these years of centralization and several rounds of reducing the power of the military governors, as the only force under the Great Han court that still maintained semi-independence and held military and political power, the Yan army's position had actually become somewhat awkward. But unlike other regional commands, for Liu Chengyou to skillfully strip away its power and control its army like a butcher dissecting an ox was no small feat. The root cause still lay with the Khitan.

It came back to the same point: the Yan army could hardly escape the court's grasp, but the Khitan's influence was the concern. After all, if the Han army resolved the Youyan matter, it would hardly be a friendly signal to the Khitan.

And as An Shenqi had said, Youzhou's role as a buffer between Han and Liao was no longer of great importance. The court could naturally take it over. It was just that after so many years, all three sides had grown accustomed to it, and Liu Chengyou needed to consider the cost of breaking the balance. Of course, it was foreseeable that the longer the Youyan problem dragged on, the harder it would be to resolve in the future.

But once the Yan army was moved against, how far would the situation in the north develop? That was uncertain. Could the Yan army be smoothly subdued? Could Youzhou be quickly pacified and brought under court control? Would the Khitan intervene? Would it affect the strategy for the southern campaign...

It had to be said that An Shenqi's sudden admonition sent Liu Chengyou's thoughts surging wildly, presenting him with a difficult problem. Once again, it was time for him to weigh the pros and cons and make a choice.