Chapter 79: Liu Zhiyuan Finally Makes His Move

From last winter until now, he had sat securely in Jinyang, observing the development of the situation across the realm for nearly half a year. As the situation grew increasingly clear—especially after both Liu Chengyou's and Shi Hongzhao's armies had achieved results—Liu Zhiyuan could finally no longer sit still.

Yelu Deguang's northward return was already a settled matter. On the surface, it did not appear to be any kind of scheme, and with "good news" arriving continuously from all directions, Liu Zhiyuan set his mind at ease.

Previously, when the Khitan held the Central Plains and Hebei and could not be stopped, being timid could be explained as being steady and cautious. But if he still continued to lie low even under the current circumstances, that would truly disappoint people.

After all, he was a hero of his generation—when it came time to be decisive, Liu Zhiyuan could be as decisive as decisiveness demanded.

Liu Zhiyuan obtained the emperor's throne as easily as if he had simply picked it up off the ground. After proclaiming himself emperor, he continued to lie low in Jinyang, and the first truly major move of the new dynasty turned out to be Liu Chengyou's "southern expedition." By comparison, Liu Zhiyuan as emperor had been far more "low-key."

But one must never underestimate a founding monarch. From the period around his ascension, one could see that everything was under Liu Zhiyuan's control.

After proclaiming himself emperor, although on the surface he made no great moves, in fact Liu Zhiyuan had been steadily accomplishing quite a lot. He won over hearts, stabilized the morale of the army, reorganized the Jinyang imperial troops, and brought the military completely under his control.

He carried out a major adjustment across the various prefectures under the former Hedong Military Governor's jurisdiction—including Qin, Liao, Shi, Fen, Lan, Xian, Xin, Dai, and even Fu and Lin, over which his control was weaker—covering officials, military strength, and every aspect with full consideration, basically completing preparations for leading the main Hedong forces southward.

At the same time, during these two months after proclaiming himself emperor, Liu Zhiyuan had constructed the central administrative system of the court. This process was not simply a matter of promoting and replacing the old Hedong officials, nor of conferring a few offices and establishing a few posts—although that was basically what Liu Zhiyuan did.

Even so, the institutional framework, powers, systems, ceremonies, and so forth were all exceptionally simple, even riddled with errors and omissions. But in the end, the stage of the "Later Han" had been set up by Liu Zhiyuan. Until not long ago, Liu Zhiyuan carried out a large-scale conferral of offices and rewards, giving those long-expecting ministers who had followed him from the start their due, and soothing people's hearts.

By the time Yelu Deguang used the northern route to Anyang, Liu Zhiyuan had arranged everything properly, appointing his imperial younger brother Liu Chong as Defender of the Northern Capital and his imperial son Liu Chengxun as Governor of Taiyuan, so to speak guarding their home base. Thereafter, he raised all the cavalry and infantry of Hedong and set out grandly on his "southern tour."

Liu Zhiyuan's southward advance came nearly a month earlier than in the original history!

Unlike the routes taken by Liu Chengyou and Shi Hongzhao, who had each gone south in succession, Liu Zhiyuan chose the western route for his advance, intending to pass through Jin and Jiang, then via Xie and Shan, and eastward into the Luo River valley.

Compared to the Lu-Ze and Heyang regions, which had already been basically opened up, the western route clearly had more obstacles. Still, the problems were not too great. Jinzhou had previously been recovered by Murong Yanzhao, and after reorganization by Acting Military Governor Zhang Yanhong, it was fully under control.

As for Shanzhou, that was the "place of first righteousness." Back then, before Liu Zhiyuan had proclaimed himself emperor or established his reign title, Zhao Hui, Hou Zhang, and Wang Yan had already raised troops to resist. Only the two prefectures of Jiang and Xie still had envoys and officers dispatched by Yelu Deguang, so they had not yet shown any intention of submitting.

However, when Liu Zhiyuan's great army advanced south under his personal command and displayed its might before the walls of Zhengping, the reaction of the civil and military officials of Jiangzhou was very telling.

"Your Majesty, Jiangzhou has surrendered!" Outside the imperial carriage, ceremonial officer Guo Yunming said to Liu Zhiyuan.

"I can see that!" Liu Zhiyuan's expression was clearly very calm, as if it were only to be expected.

Indeed—if Jiangzhou had truly insisted on its own course and chosen to resist stubbornly, then Liu Zhiyuan would have shown a bit of surprise. After all, since stepping into Jiangzhou's borders, every county and town he had passed through had surrendered.

After all, the officials and officers appointed by Yelu Deguang to the various prefectures were mostly Han. Under the general environment of Khitan forces withdrawing northward, facing tens of thousands of elite troops from Hedong, there was simply no need to resist stubbornly.

"Transmit the order: the three armies shall make camp on the spot. Have Guo Wei lead troops into the city to conduct a thorough inspection, and bring the surrendered officials of the city to the imperial camp for an audience!" Liu Zhiyuan instructed calmly. Over the past two months, his authority had grown daily, and no one dared to look at him askance.

"Yes!"

The chief figures in Jiangzhou, besides Prefect Li Conglang, were two deputy officers appointed by the Khitan, Cheng Baqing and Cao Kepan. Facing Liu Zhiyuan's summons, they behaved with great deference, not daring to hold anything back, expressing their full intent to submit.

Liu Zhiyuan asked them why they had not submitted earlier and only surrendered when the army was at the city gates. The three men's answers were also quite honest—they said they had feared being punished for having previously received orders from the barbarians, but with the Son of Heaven personally arriving, they dared not refuse to surrender.

This actually amused Liu Zhiyuan. To put Liu Zhiyuan at ease, the three men also wisely requested to be relieved of their posts.

To this, Liu Zhiyuan naturally went along with the current, conferring offices on the three men and keeping them in the army for service, while appointing others to take up the posts in Jiangzhou. Every place he passed through was his rear line, so Liu Zhiyuan had to be careful.

In the evening, inside the constructed camp tent, after only a brief rest, Liu Zhiyuan began handling important military and governmental affairs. The state had just been established, and especially during this critical period of winning the realm, there were too many matters requiring his attention, and he dared not be negligent in any of them. At his current age, it was exceptionally taxing.

In the tent, palace eunuchs had already lit candles so that Liu Zhiyuan's aging eyes would not have trouble seeing. On the side seats on both sides, Su Fengji and Su Yugui sat upright, each holding documents and reading them aloud.

The two Sus were still close ministers of the Son of Heaven, having been conferred the titles of Vice Director of the Secretariat and Chief Minister. Probably because Su Fengji was more favored, he had additionally been made Grand Academician of the Jixian Hall. Accompanying the imperial carriage southward, they handled routine affairs before the emperor.

For this southern campaign, Yang Bin and Wang Zhang had been left in Jinyang to coordinate government affairs, dispatch provisions and equipment, and support the front lines. This time, Liu Zhiyuan was not only sending out all his elite troops but also intended to exhaust Hedong's full strength to seize the Central Plains and Hebei and secure the realm, so the responsibility of the rear was especially important. And the only ones Liu Zhiyuan could trust and who had the ability to coordinate these myriad affairs without military supplies running short were none other than this pair of fellow townsmen, Yang Bin and Wang Zhang.

At this moment, what the two were reading aloud was basically all good news.

Su Fengji: "Gao Yunquan, acting Inspector of Yanzhou military and civil affairs, has submitted a memorial of submission!"

Su Yugui: "Gao Yanxun, Chief Commander of Danzhou and acting administrator of the prefecture's military and civil affairs, has submitted a memorial declaring himself a subject."

Su Fengji: "Zhe Congruan, Military Governor of Yong'an Army, reports that the Yong'an Army's establishment has been fully reorganized."

"Zhao Hui of Shanzhou reports that he has led his troops northward to welcome the imperial carriage."

"Shi Hongzhao, Chief Commander of the Imperial Guard Infantry, reports that he has surrounded the rebel Military Governor of Heyang, Cui Tingxun, within Henei city, and it will fall within days!"

"Wu Xingde of Heyang reports that the falsely appointed Defender of the Western Capital, Liu Xi, abandoned Luoyang city. Fang Tai, Patrol Inspector of the Luo capital, appointed himself acting Defender and held the city in defiance. Wu Xingde crossed the river south and killed him. The Khitan's falsely appointed Military Governor of Xuanwu Army, Xiao Han, dispatched the barbarian general Gao Mouhan to lead troops to escort Liu Xi back to Luoyang. Outnumbered, Wu Xingde withdrew to hold Mengzhou."