Chapter 980: An Old Acquaintance

In the Han palace, under the afternoon sunlight, Generals Pan Mei and Cao Bin walked along the long corridor toward the waiting chamber. The imperial palace was strictly guarded, and as subjects, looking around casually was a breach of etiquette. However, having been away for so long, Pan Mei still carefully observed the surroundings, finally letting out a sigh: "The palace... doesn't seem to have changed much!"

Cao Bin walked alongside him. Perhaps having learned caution and restraint from Guo Wei, he merely smiled politely in response and did not continue the conversation. Moreover, unlike Pan Mei, Cao Bin had never served within the imperial palace, so he had fewer such sentiments. His official career had been built through continuous promotions from local posts. Of course, Guo Wei's connections had played no small part in that.

In fact, this summons to the capital to report on his duties was Cao Bin's first time entering the capital, his first time being received by the Emperor. Thus, for Cao Bin personally, beneath his composed demeanor lay an excited heart.

Ever since the eighth year of Qianyou, when the court had taken Jinghu, the two generals Pan and Cao had been kept in Hunan, commanding troops, training soldiers, suppressing unrest, and exterminating bandits—up to now, nearly seven years had passed.

Even when Liu Chengyou had reorganized the nation's armed forces, Hunan had not been spared. Generals like Du Hanhui and Li Yun had all been transferred, yet only the two generals Pan and Cao had not been moved. The Emperor's intent in employing them was quite clear.

Now, both men were past thirty. Cao Bin could still be called relatively young, but Pan Mei could already be described as approaching forty. One could say a full seven years of precious time had been spent in Hunan, and Pan Mei harbored no small amount of resentment and frustration in his heart.

Pan Mei had harbored great ambitions since youth—a hero with a heavy drive for achievement and merit. From the pacification of Shu to the Northern Expedition, neither of those two large-scale wars had included him, which was truly a torment for him. This was also why, during the twelve-year "Restoration War" between Han and Yue, Pan Mei had vigorously petitioned the court to send additional troops to wipe out Yue in one stroke and fully recover Lingnan.

Although the Emperor had suppressed him, Pan Mei's desire for achievement burned ever stronger. Now, another two-plus years had passed. When the Emperor's edict flew to Hunan, Pan Mei knew that the opportunity to build merit he had waited years for had arrived.

After years of southern garrison duty, Pan Mei had long since memorized the situation in Southern Yue. Its internal conditions held no secrets from him. Moreover, Pan Mei had already fully mapped out how to destroy Yue, how to advance—a complete set of plans, ready to be presented to the Emperor in person upon his return to the capital.

As they stepped into the waiting chamber and saw Guo Rong seated on a mat, conversing with Guo Tingwei, Pan and Cao were startled for a moment, then quickly recovered and stepped forward to bow: "We pay our respects to the Chancellor!"

"General Guo!" They also clasped their hands toward Guo Tingwei. Between them, they had only ever been nodding acquaintances.

"I have already stepped down as Commissioner of Military Affairs!" Guo Rong, clearly pleased to see the two generals Pan and Cao, pointed out the error in their address.

Pan Mei was simply used to it—after all, Guo Rong had held military and political authority from Deputy Commissioner to Commissioner of Military Affairs for quite a long time, deeply ingrained in people's minds. Pan Mei had also served as his subordinate in the Bureau of Military Affairs for a period.

Cao Bin, by contrast, gave a slight smile, his etiquette impeccable, and said respectfully: "This humble officer pays his respects to Lord Chai!"

That was Cao Bin for you—always giving people a feeling of steadiness, reliability, and propriety, impossible to find fault with. Looking at Cao Bin, who had also entered his thirties, Guo Rong said: "With Guohua's achievements today, Duke Xing and his wife must surely be gratified!"

Cao Bin immediately demurred: "Thank you for the praise, Duke, but this humble officer does not deserve it. My only wish is to not fail His Majesty's grace above, nor incur the people's resentment below—that is enough!"

"You... after all these years, your temperament hasn't changed a bit!" Seeing this, Guo Rong's expression grew even more genial. He was himself a stern and grave man, and he greatly approved of Cao Bin's utterly unassuming words and deeds.

"Let me introduce you—Chief Commander of the Jinghai Army, General Guo Tingwei! He too has been summoned to the capital by imperial edict this time!" Guo Rong introduced them. Of the four present, only Cao Bin and Guo Tingwei were unacquainted with each other.

Guo and Cao exchanged greetings, and Guo Rong turned to Pan Mei, his tone full of emotion: "Zhongxun, you truly are a great general of the court now!"

Pan Mei smiled slightly and said respectfully: "I must thank Your Majesty and Lord Chan for their promotion. It is only a pity that I could not participate in the great northern war!"

Hearing this, Guo Rong smiled—a rare occurrence—and said: "It seems that upon your return to the capital, you have already drafted your request to go to war!"

Pan Mei seized the opening and asked: "This humble officer presumes to ask Lord Chan—has Your Majesty's summoning us back to the capital this time already settled the plan to pacify the south?"

Noting the look in Pan Mei's eyes, full of desire for merit, Guo Rong shook his head: "I have just returned from the northern inspection tour and am not yet clear on Your Majesty's and the court's decisions. However, since we have returned to court, His Majesty will naturally give his instructions. There is no need for you to be impatient!"

The several men exchanged pleasantries in the waiting chamber. Guo Rong was especially attentive in his conversations with Pan Mei and Cao Bin, particularly concerned with the situation in the south.

Indeed, it was no wonder Liu Chengyou found it hard to suppress his wariness of the Guo father-and-son faction. Setting aside everything else, just look at these generals waiting for an audience. Cao Bin—Guo Wei's nephew; Pan Mei—in his early years a subordinate of Guo Rong, discovered by him, later recommended by him into the imperial army, then serving as a direct subordinate in the Bureau of Military Affairs for a time, with Guo Rong also vigorously supporting his appointments; Guo Tingwei—the friendship from those years still bearing fruit, and as a surrendered general, he too was someone Guo Rong had drawn close...

And these three were clearly the commanding generals Liu Chengyou had prepared for the southern pacification campaign, all destined for great use. Not to mention the other veteran and mid-ranking officers in the Han army who had connections to Guo and Chai.

The four were not kept waiting long. After about a quarter of an hour, a palace eunuch came to convey the order, summoning them to an audience at Wansui Hall. Liu Chengyou was at that moment in the rear palace, flirting with Pure Consort Zhou, listening to her play the zither and blow the flute, to ease the pressures of state affairs.

In the past few years, he had briefly let go of power, but imperceptibly, he had taken it back. Especially during the great military and political readjustments of the twelfth and thirteenth years, he had personally supervised those below, pressing down on many officials until they could hardly breathe. Only upon entering the fifteenth year did things ease somewhat.

Toward the return of the four—Chai, Guo, Pan, and Cao—Liu Chengyou naturally displayed his warmth and affability. Holding several flatbreads, he said to the four: "These are Sun Family Cakes I specially ordered purchased from outside the palace. They are quite famous, with a resounding reputation—I had long heard of them. Today I taste them for the first time. You have returned just in time—what good fortune for your palates!"

The Emperor's approachable demeanor was quite comforting. With a few flatbreads, he dispelled the nervousness that men like Pan Mei and Cao Bin felt when facing the throne.

"This northern inspection tour, braving wind and snow—you must have had a hard journey!" Of course, Liu Chengyou's first concern was the returning Guo Rong.

"To patrol on behalf of Heaven is this minister's honor. Your Majesty's trust and confidence move me to my very core—how could I speak of hardship?" Guo Rong appeared very calm.

This was merely a form of exchange between sovereign and minister. Liu Chengyou quickly moved past it and turned to business: "I have read the memorial you submitted. I am very satisfied with the results of the northern inspection. However, you mentioned that the Khitan are showing unusual movements. I am curious—where does this anomaly come from? Tell me your thoughts!"

At the question, Guo Rong turned serious and replied: "This minister learned of it through exchanges with the border generals, and by inquiring among the border market residents and barbarian merchants. Over the past year, there has been a trend of Khitan tribes and garrison troops migrating westward. Though secretive, it is ultimately difficult to completely conceal the traces. Moreover, according to the report of General Li Wanchao of Jiuyuan, over the past three years, the Liao sovereign has hunted in the west several times, going as far as the Baidadan tribe at the northern foot of the Yin Mountains.

Though this is only speculation, this minister believes the Khitan are secretly planning something, and it must be in the west. The court cannot afford not to guard against it!"

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou said coldly: "Not long ago, I also received a report from Lu Duoxun in the northwest, stating that Li Guangrui of the Dingnan Army has been secretly contacting the Khitan. Tell me—could the Khitan be plotting against the Hexi region?"

To this, Guo Rong could not give a definitive answer, only saying gravely: "This minister believes that after the Northern Expedition, Liao suffered a heavy blow—there is no way it could recover in just three short years. The likelihood of it actively planning to attack the Great Han is not great. But if it joins forces with the Dingnan Army, it will inevitably cause great harm to the northwestern region. This matter must not be taken lightly!"

After considering for a while, Liu Chengyou finally said: "It seems that after these years of peace, no one can stay still. The Khitan and the Dingnan Army—they have both chosen a good moment."

Saying this, Liu Chengyou also made clear his stance on the matter: "At present, the court's focus must be on pacifying Jiangnan and unifying the realm. As for the northwest—the Khitan's intentions are unclear, and the Tangut are suspicious but have not yet moved. As long as the situation is not broken, it can only be set aside for now. However, I have already issued an edict ordering the northwestern military and civilian authorities to heighten their vigilance."