Chapter 759: The Affair of Dingzhou

Suicheng County originally belonged to Yizhou, but as the Han army's defensive line shifted northward, it became a garrison for the northern forces. The court fortified the city and established defenses there against the Khitan, making it the garrison of the Baoding Army, which had a strength of three thousand.

The imperial entourage only stayed in Sui County for two days to inspect the Baoding Army. Just as Dong Zunhui had hoped, Liu Chengyou gave a high evaluation of the army's appearance, morale, training, equipment, and city defenses, and expressed recognition of his ability to train and command troops, which delighted Dong Zunhui.

Liu Chengyou told Dong Zunhui that Zhao Kuangyin had once recommended him, saying that Dong Zunhui was a rare military talent, knowledgeable in military strategy, open-minded by nature, and could be entrusted with great matters.

At that time, Liu Chengyou observed Dong Zunhui's expression—there was surprise, recollection, melancholy, and unwillingness, though in the end it all turned into a trace of relief. Clearly, Zhao Kuangyin's assessment of Dong Zunhui had caught him quite off guard.

Knowing that Dong Zunhui did not enjoy reading, before departing, Liu Chengyou specifically urged him to read more, and used Zhao Kuangyin to spur him on, saying that if he did not understand books, he could forever be a general but never a marshal. Moreover, he gave him several historical texts and classics revised by the Three Institutes that he had brought along.

Toward Dong Zunhui, Liu Chengyou had shown considerable favor, and judging from Dong Zunhui's response, the effect was quite good.

Heading south from Sui County, traveling one hundred sixty li, one reached Puyin County in Qizhou. Along the uneven roads, the great procession moved leisurely, with lush greenery all around—a flourishing summer scene.

The scene was very quiet. Apart from birdsong and insect chirping, there were only the footsteps of soldiers, the rumbling of wheels, and the sounds of the field headquarters. Lazily waking from sleep, Liu Chengyou noted the surroundings outside—the sun hung low and dim, and the hour was already late.

He knocked on the carriage wall and asked, "Who is on duty outside?"

Waiting outside was Zhang Dejun, who hurriedly responded upon hearing the voice: "It is this humble one, Your Majesty. What are your orders?"

"Where are we now?" Liu Chengyou asked.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, less than five li until we reach Puyin County!"

"I woke just in time!" Liu Chengyou said. "Notify Shi Shouxin—we'll rest one night in Puyin!"

"Yes!"

Blinking his somewhat hazy eyes, as if he could see the light dust in the air, his gaze shifted and fell upon the noble lady beside him. Because they were inside the imperial carriage, Noble Consort Gao was thinly dressed, wearing Liu Chengyou's favorite "misty attire"—peaks gathered, deep valleys hidden.

Feeling Liu Chengyou's unrestrained gaze, Noble Consort Gao seductively covered her private parts and said with a hint of reproach, "Where are you looking?"

The gesture was even more alluring, and well-versed in such arts, it captivated Liu Chengyou so that he could not look away. He laughed and said, "Admiring my Lady Gao's wonderful figure..."

She lightly bit her red lips, her eyes brimming with autumn waves, and on her slightly flushed face was a touch of confusion: "How has Your Majesty become so frivolous?"

"When feelings arise, how can that be called frivolous?" Liu Chengyou launched a sudden attack, pulling Noble Consort Gao into his embrace, his hands roaming freely, and asked with a smile, "What, do you like this?"

Noble Consort Gao's body trembled from his groping, and she panted softly: "Your Majesty, stop it—this is not the place..."

After having his fill of fondling, Liu Chengyou finally released the noble consort whose palace robes were in disarray, and sprawled wantonly across her lap, saying casually, "You become less and less able to withstand teasing."

The flush on her jade-like face deepened, and her tone carried a mix of shame and anger: "It's all because you're being mischievous with me—you make it sound as if your concubine is some..."

An ambiguous atmosphere permeated the imperial carriage.

After flirting with Noble Consort Gao for a while, Liu Chengyou vigorously wrinkled his nose, as if sniffing at something. Noble Consort Gao assumed he was still being restless, and her pretty face flushed even more.

However, this time it was truly a misunderstanding.

"Puyin truly deserves its reputation as the northern pharmaceutical capital of our dynasty—even the air here seems filled with the fragrance of herbs." Liu Chengyou said.

"Is that so?" Noble Consort Gao also wrinkled her delicate nose and said, "Why don't I smell anything?"

"If I say there is, then there is!" Liu Chengyou smiled slightly.

"Whatever Your Majesty says, that is how it is!"

Over these years, Puyin in Qizhou had become one of the most famous pharmaceutical capitals of the Great Han, and Qizhou was consequently established as a separate prefecture. The herbal medicine trade within its borders flourished, and both the military and civilians sourced their medicines from there. The court had specially established a medicine supervisor's office in this place to manage the cultivation, harvesting, and market trading of various medicinal herbs.

Before the imperial entourage arrived, the people of Puyin County had already selected good land outside the city, conscripted laborers, prepared timber, and built a camp in advance. When the imperial carriage arrived, they could move in directly, saving considerable trouble.

At night, within the field headquarters, the accompanying palace attendants and officials had just settled in, yet there was still some commotion and continuous noise. The soldiers guarding the imperial procession partook in batches of the food provided by the locals of Puyin.

In the imperial tent, Liu Chengyou could not rest. He wiped his face slightly, clearing away some dust and fatigue. With a composed expression, he returned to behind the large desk and looked at the several civil and military officials who had come at his summons.

"You all haven't eaten yet, have you? I'm hungry too. Take your seats, let's eat together—we can talk while we dine!" Pointing at the several food tables laden with dishes, Liu Chengyou said with a light laugh.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Four people had answered the summons: Shi Shouxin, Bai Chongzan, Li Huan, and an official dressed in Wude Office attire. The simple meal made the atmosphere in the tent quite harmonious.

After eating a bit to stave off hunger, Bai Chongzan took the initiative to ask Liu Chengyou: "May we ask what instructions Your Majesty has? We are all ears!"

"Instructions is too strong a word—I merely have matters to entrust to you!" Liu Chengyou waved his hand, looking at Bai Chongzan and Li Huan: "You two have accompanied me north for quite some time now, traveling through most of the prefectures and counties of Hebei. You must have long been anticipating where you will be posted! I have already chosen positions for you!"

Upon hearing this, Li Huan asked, "Could it be Qizhou?"

"No—Dingzhou, Qizhou's neighbor!" Liu Chengyou replied. "It is my intention to appoint Minister Li as Prefectural Administrator of Dingzhou, and Minister Bai as Army Commander of Yongning, to govern Dingzhou on behalf of the court!"

"Yes!" Li and Bai both rose to accept the order.

"However, before assuming your posts, you need to understand the situation in Dingzhou!" Liu Chengyou said. As soon as he spoke, there was a hint of something unusual in his tone that was alerting.

"Tell them about it!" Liu Chengyou said to the Wude Office intelligence officer who had the honor of sitting at the feast.

"Yes!" The man hurriedly rose upon hearing this and introduced: "Since the former Military Governor of Dingzhou, Sun Fangjian, stepped down and entered the court, the court appointed his younger brother Sun Xingyou as Army Commander of Yongning. In his two years in office, Sun Xingyou has repeatedly meddled in governance and interfered in civil affairs. He has also supported the propagation of Buddhism, indulging its followers in deceiving the people. There is a sorceress nun operating within Dingzhou's jurisdiction who uses heretical methods to enchant people and extort money. The people of Dingzhou compete to go worship her, and it cannot be stopped!"

"This Sun Xingyou—how dare he act so recklessly?" Bai Chongzan was somewhat stunned.

Li Huan also frowned and said, "The court already has regulations regarding Buddhist affairs—how can we tolerate a sorceress nun deceiving the people and causing chaos?"

At Liu Chengyou's signal, the intelligence officer continued: "According to reports, Sun Xingyou intends to rectify the situation, but the problems are too deeply entrenched to reverse. Now that Your Majesty is on the northern tour and the imperial entourage draws near, Sun Xingyou is fearful and anxious, dreading that Your Majesty will punish him. He has already taken money and goods from the prefectural treasury and, leading his trusted troops, withdrawn toward Wolf Mountain to seek self-preservation..."

The intelligence officer's words made everyone present look bewildered. It was already the ninth year of Qianyou—how could there still be such foolish and audacious people in the world? In fact, there were. It wasn't that Sun Xingyou harbored intentions of rebelling against the court; rather, he feared punishment for his suspected crimes and acted without regard for consequences.