Chapter 831: Military Affairs

Inside Chongzheng Hall, behind the broad desk, Liu Chengyou lay reclined in a relaxed posture, holding a memorial in his hand, reading it with great relish, occasionally nodding and showing a satisfied expression.

What Liu Chengyou was reading was a political essay submitted by Dou Yan, Drafter of the Secretariat, a lengthy piece of over two thousand characters, which, based on the current state of the Great Han, offered analysis and discourse on matters of ceremonial rites, official selection, performance evaluation, bandit suppression, public security, and the tax system, presented to the Son of Heaven.

It was evident that Dou Yan had put real effort into it—the discourse was detailed, well-organized, and largely substantive, containing no shortage of sound advice and good policies, especially some suggestions regarding bandit suppression.

"This Dou Yan truly lives up to the name of 'Five Dragons'—he has real insight!" Liu Chengyou set down the essay and remarked with a sigh.

Among the five Dou brothers, although the eldest, Dou Yi, was the most outstanding in reputation and ability, the rest were also highly talented, especially Dou Yan. Of course, to have risen to the position of Drafter of the Secretariat, it would be impossible without some real substance in one's belly.

However, as for Dou Yan's political essay, Liu Chengyou merely read it once with an appreciative attitude, and that was the end of it. In Liu Chengyou's view, it was nothing more than common platitudes—worthy of a word of praise, to show appreciation.

"Someone!" Raising his head, Liu Chengyou called out.

"This humble one is here—what does His Majesty command?" Sun Yanxi, who had succeeded Zhang Dejun as Chief Palace Eunuch, hurried in to await orders.

Since Zhang Dejun's focus had shifted to the Palace City Office, the chief eunuch among Liu Chengyou's close attendants had already been changed three times. One was executed for arrogance and bullying his subordinates, another for accepting bribes, and the remaining one was dismissed for never serving to His Majesty's satisfaction.

In less than a year, the position of Chief Palace Eunuch beside the Emperor—a post that the eunuchs of the Han palace envied and coveted—had become a high-risk position. This Sun Yanxi was already the fourth holder, originally a palace attendant at Ciming Hall, sent over after it was learned that Liu Chengyou was dissatisfied with his attendants.

Speaking of it, the original Zhang Dejun had also been requested by Liu Chengyou from the Empress Dowager. As it turned out, the Empress Dowager had a certain skill in training eunuchs—Sun Yanxi had caught Liu Chengyou's eye as well. Though not as quick-witted as Zhang Dejun, he appeared honest and steady, held extraordinary awe and reverence for Liu Chengyou, was deeply servile in nature, and made not the slightest error in his conduct.

Of course, performing too perfectly sometimes made Liu Chengyou wonder whether his outward appearance matched his inner self. After all, even Zhang Dejun would occasionally make small mistakes. But for now, Liu Chengyou was still satisfied with this Sun Yanxi.

Looking at Sun Yanxi, who stood bowing deeply awaiting orders, Liu Chengyou directly commanded: "Transmit my oral edict—grant Dou Yan, Drafter of the Secretariat, fifty thousand cash and twenty bolts of silk."

"Yes!"

Sun Yanxi withdrew, and Liu Chengyou picked up another memorial, this one from the Bureau of Military Affairs, a report on the military strength of the Great Han. Over the past decade, the Han army had been continuously adjusted and standardized, and every time it passed through warfare, it faced further adjustments. Only by now had a barely mature military system taken shape.

With the imperial army of the two commands as the main force, supplemented by the garrison troops of the various frontiers, the military forces of the circuits and prefectures, as well as transport and patrol soldiers, and additionally the militia still being organized, the scale was already sufficiently vast. Among these, the standing imperial army alone numbered a hundred thousand—these were the pillars of the state—and including the frontier armies of Hebei, Hedong, the northwest, and the southwest, the elite forces totaled two hundred thousand.

Among them, the construction of cavalry was proceeding in an orderly manner; combining internal and external forces, there were already nearly forty thousand horsemen. According to the Bureau of Military Affairs' calculations, while maintaining basic public security throughout the realm, if the court wished to launch a great campaign, it could mobilize three hundred thousand troops. Once Chuanshu was pacified and its population fully absorbed, another hundred thousand could be added.

And if consequences were disregarded, mobilizing a combined land and naval force of eight hundred thousand was not impossible either. However, Liu Chengyou estimated that he would never in his lifetime dispatch a great army of eight hundred thousand—not only would it terrify the enemy, but merely thinking about it made his own scalp tingle...

Briefly comparing the troop dispositions—internal and external checks and balances, rotational garrison deployments, supplemented by the military commissions—the system was in a healthy equilibrium, with no major problems, and no significant adjustments were needed for the time being.

Speaking of it, in the ten years since his ascension, he had continuously been consolidating elite troops and concentrating military power, yet the strength of the frontier armies had been steadily increasing. Sometimes, Liu Chengyou could not help but harbor suspicions—if the garrison troops on the various frontiers rebelled, how would the court deal with them? Every time he thought of this, cold sweat broke out on his back.

In fact, the Great Han's current military disposition had no small hidden dangers. The garrison forces in Hebei alone constituted a massive concentration with formidable strength—if they rebelled, Hebei would likely be lost, and the Central Plains would be shaken. Now, with Emperor Liu suppressing the realm, there was no such concern, but what about the future?

Of course, this was merely Liu Chengyou's sense of vigilance—he trusted the military, yet also kept his guard up. To resolve this and reduce the threat was not impossible: reduce troop numbers, weaken the frontier armies' strength, and strengthen the checks and balances among generals—there were plenty of methods.

But that would truly become "strengthening the interior while weakening the exterior," which was not something Liu Chengyou wished to see. Over all these years, the Great Han had repeatedly campaigned southward, but defense against the north had never been relaxed—heavy troops were stationed to guard against the barbarians, and they had even gone so far as to strengthen the authority of the northern frontier commanders, granting them a degree of military autonomy. For what purpose? It was precisely because they were unwilling to bind their own hands and cripple their own martial strength by over-controlling the generals to prevent internal rebellion, leaving themselves exhausted by frontier troubles.

Everything has its pros and cons. As far as Liu Chengyou was concerned, the way to balance the pros and cons was to seize back the natural defenses of the north (specifically referring to the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun) and redeploy the national defense to make it more balanced and reasonable.

However, no policy or deployment could remain unchanged for a hundred years; one could only adjust and develop according to the current national conditions and circumstances...

Shaking his head to clear his mind, he returned to the memorial from the Bureau of Military Affairs. After thinking it over, he picked up his brush and wrote out an imperial decree, then affixed his seal and gave the order: "Send this decree to the Bureau of Military Affairs!"

The decree was concise and to the point. According to Liu Chengyou's instructions, the Bureau of Military Affairs' next focus was to be on the reorganization and deployment of the Shu army, as well as matters of troop withdrawal, with one additional emphasis: strengthening the construction of the cavalry.

Liu Chengyou's sudden review of the Great Han's military affairs was not merely because of the pacification of Shu, but also because his gaze had once again turned northward. In Liu Chengyou's view, after taking Chuanshu, the remaining small half of the southern realm could be taken at leisure, without much difficulty. Given the Great Han's current strength, as long as no unexpected events occurred, it could be settled within two or three years.

Under such circumstances, Liu Chengyou felt it was time to turn his attention to Liao in the north. Strengthening the cavalry was a signal—military preparation for war against Liao.

A full six years had passed since the Han-Liao peace agreement in the fourth year of Qianyou. The soldiers of the Great Han had been suppressing their edge; it was time to sharpen their fangs deliberately and prepare to bite toward the great enemy in the north.

In these years, Liao's development had been anything but slow. With the Sleeping King on the throne, who seemed to have a deep understanding of the "Yellow Emperor and Laozi" way, and who heavily employed civil and military officials such as Yelu Wuzhi and Yelu Talie, the state's strength had recovered considerably.

A decade had passed. Though the wounds inflicted on the Khitan at the Battle of Luancheng had been severe, ten years was enough time for a new generation of Khitan youths to grow up.

However, the most serious malady of Liao at present remained the struggle for power at the upper levels. The imperial throne alternated between the two bloodlines of Yelu Bei and Yelu Deguang, and the Huoshen Dian Rebellion had left endless troubles in its wake.

When Yelu Jing first succeeded to the throne, he had appeased the Khitan nobles, abolishing some of Yelu Ruan's sinicizing policies, which greatly eased the contradictions. But as time passed, there was no avoiding those who schemed in the shadows—members of the imperial clan and nobles who wished to emulate Yelu Chage and usurp the throne were by no means few. However, they had all been easily suppressed and eliminated by Yelu Jing.

Although Yelu Jing's throne was still relatively secure and he wielded absolute power, the turmoil in Liao's upper-level politics caused by struggles over the throne and power was ultimately unavoidable. Yet no matter how unstable the upper-level politics were, the impact on the tribal subjects and prefectures below seemed to be minimal.

Speaking of it, Yelu Jing and Liu Chengyou were the same age, both still young, yet the two of them respectively ruled over the two most vast and powerful empires in the East—a fierce collision between them was inevitable in the future.

However, Liu Chengyou had already made sufficient mental preparations and was carrying out military preparations; Yelu Jing, on the other hand, had not...