Chapter 995: Deploying the Old General Again

In the palace gardens, arrows whistled through the air with sharp "swish" sounds, constantly stimulating everyone's eardrums. Today, the Emperor's archery seemed to have improved dramatically—as if fitted with a sight—every arrow hit the target, and two even struck dead center, leaving the attending eunuchs and guards both astonished and delighted. Had it not been for the constraints of propriety, they would likely have burst into cheers.

Only after finishing an entire quiver of arrows did Liu Chengyou still have the energy to draw the string empty, listening to the vibrating twang, and couldn't help but let out a few hearty laughs. Gazing at the target twenty-five paces away, bristling with arrows, the corners of his mouth simply couldn't stop curling upward. It was only a matter of not missing the target, yet in his heart he felt a moving sense of having turned things around.

However, with just a slight shift of his gaze, he could see another target, also covered with arrows, but noticeably clustered densely around the bullseye.

"Minister Shi, excellent archery! Undiminished from your prime!" Setting down his carved bow, Liu Chengyou wore a face full of smiles.

Accompanying the Emperor in archery practice was none other than Duke of Zhengguo, Shi Hongzhao. Years ago, due to illness, he had been recalled from his post in Lingzhou to the Eastern Capital to recuperate. At first, Liu Chengyou had genuinely wondered whether he might not pull through. As it turned out, he had worried for nothing—Shi Hongzhao, that "villain," clearly had a tough life force, and gradually he recovered.

"Your minister is old now, my strength has waned! Your Majesty is the true divine marksman!" Hearing this, Shi Hongzhao also laughed loudly and replied.

Perhaps many would find it hard to imagine that the crude, brutal, arrogant, and rude Marshal Shi of old would now know how to flatter—though admittedly, the flattery wasn't quite on point. Still, this transformation was refreshing to behold.

"Minister Shi need not flatter me. My archery skills, heh heh, are hardly worth mentioning, haha..." Liu Chengyou was clearly in a good mood, and his tone carried a warmth and familiarity.

The Shi Hongzhao of today was visibly older than in years past, with streaks of gray-white mixed through his hair and temples. Having long garrisoned Hexi, weathered by the wind and sand of the northwest, his deeply furrowed old face was etched with the marks of hardship.

But seeing his vigorous bearing and hearing his hearty laughter, Liu Chengyou's spirits couldn't help but lift further. The sovereign and his minister returned to their seats, and immediately a palace eunuch brought over ice-cold towels and tea.

After wiping away his sweat and taking two sips of cool tea, Liu Chengyou turned his head to Shi Hongzhao and said: "Minister Shi draws and shoots even now, with not a single arrow missing its mark—clearly your courage is undiminished from your prime. It seems your body has recovered quite well!"

Fifteen years ago, Liu Chengyou could never have imagined such a scene—himself and Shi Hongzhao sitting together, legs crossed, conversing in a relaxed atmosphere. Back then, Liu Chengyou had felt both disgust and wariness toward Shi Hongzhao, even harboring thoughts of eliminating him. One could only say that times change, and nothing is predictable.

"Thank you for Your Majesty's concern. The Eastern Capital is a place that nurtures a man. In these three years of rest, I've had good physicians and effective medicines on one hand, and no official burdens on the other, so my body remains fairly healthy!" Shi Hongzhao said.

"My, how time flies—Minister Shi has been back at court for three years already!" Liu Chengyou nodded slightly, adopting an even more relaxed posture as he looked at Shi Hongzhao, asking with a smile: "Minister Shi, after resting for so long, you've grown accustomed to it, haven't you?"

After so many years, one naturally develops a certain perceptiveness—reading between the lines. The moment the Emperor said this, Shi Hongzhao perked up immediately, rolling his shoulders and replying: "To be honest with Your Majesty, my bones have long been itching with restlessness—I want to get moving!"

"I have a place in mind, but I'm not sure if Minister Shi would be willing to make the trip!" Hearing this, Liu Chengyou said.

At these words, Shi Hongzhao stood up directly, his tiger eyes reflecting a gleam of light as he looked curiously at Liu Chengyou: "Please give your command, Your Majesty!"

Liu Chengyou also put away his smile and said: "In the nearly ten years since recovering Qinfeng, Duke of Bao, Wang Jing, has held the western frontier, continuously expanding westward and reclaiming the former territories of the previous Tang, planting the banner of the Great Han once again over the prefectures of Lan and Liang. However, though the territory gained is vast, consolidation is difficult—there have been frequent disturbances in recent years. Pacifying it will require time. The Duke of Bao is advanced in years, and I cannot bear to let him, at his venerable age, continue to endure the hardships of frontier defense..."

Hearing the conversation reach this point, Shi Hongzhao assumed a look of unwavering commitment, clasping his fists and saying: "Your Majesty, let your minister go! Once I reach Qinzhou, I will surely keep the western barbarians in line!"

Liu Chengyou was not surprised by Shi Hongzhao's request, and said: "That is exactly my thinking. You have many years of experience in Hexi—you understand military affairs, you know the barbarian situation well, and your fearsome reputation is widely known, more than enough to reassure the people and secure the border!"

The Emperor's praise was always the most gratifying, especially for Shi Hongzhao, whose smiling old face nearly crumpled into folds. He immediately said to Liu Chengyou: "Your Majesty, the western barbarian peoples have long refused to submit to imperial civilization and know nothing of the Celestial Court's might, which is why they repeatedly commit offenses. When I was in Lingzhou, I used one hand with a steel blade and the other with meat and wine—within a few years, the various barbarian tribes no longer dared to cause trouble..."

Shi Hongzhao's method of pacification was extremely crude, overly reliant on force, but it grasped the core principle, and the results achieved were more beneficial than harmful. However, the Longxi region differed from the Hexi region—the power structure there was more fragmented, and in the face of the Great Han's expansion, most tribes and powerful families chose to submit.

Therefore, in the process of westward advance, the Great Han's policy favored conciliation over suppression. This had its advantages—territory was expanded by a thousand li with ease—but it was not stable. Especially as Wang Jing grew increasingly aged, Liu Chengyou's intention to replace him this time was not only due to Wang Jing's age and health, but also a desire to send someone more forceful to consolidate control.

Among the Tibetans within Qinzhou's borders, there was a tribe that lived in the former Fuqiang County, whose chieftain was named Shang Boyu. During Wang Jing's westward expansion, he had voluntarily submitted and offered up the old Fuqiang lands.

However, in recent years he had grown restless, over a dispute of interests. His tribal lands were lush with vegetation, and through logging and selling timber, they reaped great profits. But when the court later issued a logging restriction order, the conflict arose—after all, it cut off their livelihood.

"The mountains, forests, waters, and marshes all belong to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty does not permit him to log, and he still dares to defy you, then once I go there, I will surely teach this beast a proper lesson!" Shi Hongzhao said with murderous intent.

"I have, after all, cut off one of their sources of income. There is cause behind it, and I can understand their grievance—but gathering crowds to incite rebellion is something that must be punished!" Liu Chengyou said.

At this point, Liu Chengyou looked at Shi Hongzhao again and said: "My logging restriction order does not completely ban logging—it bans reckless and excessive logging. My painstaking intentions... ah, never mind. Leave the military matters to Minister Shi. As for the rest, I will arrange other people to support you!"

"Yes!" Seeing Liu Chengyou's spirits suddenly dip, Shi Hongzhao didn't understand why, but still respectfully acknowledged.

In fact, to many people, the Emperor's "logging restriction order" for the Longyou region seemed somewhat inexplicable, and quite a few even voiced opposition. In their view, lush water and abundant trees were gifts of heaven, meant for human use, and the tribesmen relied heavily on these profits. For the court to forcibly impose such a policy would inevitably breed unrest—and sure enough, trouble had indeed arisen, with Shang Boyu merely being one of the larger factions.

Liu Chengyou, for his part, had learned a lesson from this—some policies, no matter how beneficial for a thousand years, were simply ill-suited to the times. Moreover, there were plenty of Han people profiting from logging in Longxi as well; some of the great timber was premium building material that could fetch a good price when transported to the major cities.

But having Liu Chengyou bow to pressure and cancel the restriction order was also out of the question. It was just that pursuing water and soil environmental protection in an era like this carried a truly heavy cost, and it would continue to give Liu Chengyou headaches.

"I appoint you as Patrol Inspector of Longxi, commanding all the armies. The appointment document will be issued shortly!" Pushing aside the stray thoughts in his mind, Liu Chengyou looked at Shi Hongzhao and said to him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Shi Hongzhao clasped his fists with force, even kicking up a bit of dust, and asked: "When does your minister depart for his post?"

"No rush!" Liu Chengyou waved his hand and said: "Wait for someone to come to the capital!"

"Who?" Shi Hongzhao was somewhat puzzled.

"Shi Decheng, Administration Commissioner of Hedong Circuit, is returning to the capital to report on his duties!" Liu Chengyou said softly, watching Shi Hongzhao's expression.

Shi Hongzhao was momentarily taken aback, then quickly realized, and bowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"You father and son haven't seen each other in quite a few years. Take this opportunity to properly catch up on family ties!" Liu Chengyou said with concern: "I must also thank Minister Shi for raising such a capable official for the Great Han!"

Shi Hongzhao's son, Shi Decheng, was an upright man with insight and a sense of fairness. Having served in various circuits, his administrative abilities had been honed, and he had risen to high office with a consistently good reputation. This return to court should mark a new and greater appointment.

"This trip to Qin and Long will again be a journey of a thousand li! Minister Shi must take care of himself. In recent years, the old ministers have been dwindling one by one—the founding heroes of those days have been passing away in succession. Whenever I think of this, my heart is filled with melancholy!" Liu Chengyou suddenly sighed with emotion, looking deeply moved.

Seeing this, Shi Hongzhao was also quite affected, a look of reminiscence appearing in his aged eyes. He glanced at the Emperor, hesitated slightly, then clasped his fists and said: "Your Majesty, your minister has something to say—I'm not sure if this is the right time to speak it."

Seeing his cautious manner, Liu Chengyou suddenly grew interested, smiled slightly, and gestured: "Speak!"

Shi Hongzhao said: "In the two prefectures of Jing and Wei, there are still two founding ministers of the dynasty..."

With this reminder, Liu Chengyou naturally realized what he meant, though his impressions had already grown somewhat vague. What was somewhat surprising was that Su Fengji and Yang Bin were still alive.

Even more surprising was that Shi Hongzhao had taken the initiative to speak up on their behalf. One had to know that in the chaotic political arena of the early Han, Shi Hongzhao, who held great power most of the time, had held nothing but utter contempt for civil officials like Yang and Su.

The power of time was truly formidable—it could change so many people and things.

Perhaps to honor Shi Hongzhao's request, or perhaps out of nostalgia, Liu Chengyou sent people to investigate two matters: first, Yang Bin's situation, and second, how many war horses Su Fengji had contributed to the court over the past decade or more.