Chapter 177: Beacon Fires Rise Again

Later Zhou, first year of Xian De, spring.

Kaifeng City was still immersed in the festive atmosphere of the new emperor's enthronement and the New Year, when an eight-hundred-li urgent military report arrived, like a basin of ice water poured over everyone's heads.

The lord of Northern Han, Liu Chong, colluded with the Khitan, split his forces into two routes, and launched a major southern advance!

The Northern Han army, personally led by Liu Chong, numbered thirty thousand and marched straight toward Lu Prefecture.

The Khitan army was led by its great general Yang Gong; although its strength had already been severely damaged, it still commanded nearly ten thousand Iron Control cavalry, bypassing the Taihang Mountains and thrusting deep into Later Zhou's heartland.

The vigor of its troops, the ferocity of its advance, far surpassed any previous occasion.

When the news reached Kaifeng, the court and populace were shaken, and people's hearts trembled with fear.

Inside the Hall of Purple Splendor, the new emperor Guo Rong sat on the dragon throne with an ashen face; below, the civil and military officials were in utter chaos.

"Your Majesty! Northern Han and the Khitan are in league, and their intentions are hostile! Our Great Zhou has just endured a national mourning, the new emperor has just ascended the throne—it is not easy to rashly mobilize troops!" a white-haired civil official, tears streaming down his face, urged counsel.

"Yes, Your Majesty! The enemy forces are strong, our army is exhausted from long marches and cannot easily engage them head-on. I believe we should hold the cities, temporarily avoid their sharpness, and at the same time send envoys to the Khitan to seek peace, offering tribute in exchange for a temporary respite." Another minister also chimed in agreement.

"Seeking peace? That is utter disgrace!" a general jumped out, shouting angrily, "When will the sons of our Great Zhou have to wag their tails and beg for mercy from the Khitan barbarians to gain peace? Your Majesty! I request to go to war! I am willing to lead five thousand Iron Control cavalry straight to Yellow Dragon, twist Liu Chong's head off, and present it to you as a chamber pot!"

"Reckless fool! What do you know?" the civil officials immediately retorted, "War is a matter of vital importance to the state, the arena of life and death, the path to survival or ruin—it must not be neglected! How can one indulge in personal bravery and jeopardize the safety of the nation?"

"You bunch of pedantic scholars, all you know is how to flap your lips! If you were really sent to the battlefield, you'd probably piss yourselves from fear!"

"You..."

In the court, arguments erupted into a frenzy. The hawks and doves shouted until their faces flushed and spit flew.

Guo Rong coldly gazed at the crowd below, saying nothing.

Yet his heart was filled with waves of chill.

Is this the "loyal ministers and capable generals" his father left him?

Whenever a strong enemy appears, they only know how to argue and shift blame—either they want to cede territory and pay indemnities for a temporary respite, or they want to act impulsively, brandish their weapons and charge forward; not a single person can propose a feasible plan to resist the foe.

A deep sense of helplessness welled up in his heart. He felt like a puppet roasted over a fire—though not literally suspended, the officials of the whole Great Zhou, supposed to be its limbs, acted so incoherently that it was laughable!

Just then, a figure stepped out from the ranks of officials.

It was the chancellor, Fan Zhi.

"Your Majesty." Fan Zhi's voice, though not loud, instantly silenced all the arguing in the hall.

I have a memorial to present.

All eyes turned to him.

Fan Zhi ignored the crowd, bowed to Guo Rong, and said: "Your Majesty, the Northern Han-Khitan allied forces appear formidable, but are actually hollow inside. Liu Chong bears the title of lord, but is in fact a Khitan lackey. His so-called thirty-thousand-strong army is mostly a rabble, incapable of withstanding a single blow."

"The true grave threat is the Khitan's ten thousand Iron Control cavalry. Though they were already crippled by the three regional commanders years ago, and Yelu Deguang, upon returning, fell ill from worry, they now dare to penetrate deep with a lone army; their grain and forage supplies will surely be strained. If our forces can seize the opportunity, set an ambush in the Gaoping area, lie in wait to strike the weary, we can destroy them in one fell swoop. Then the siege on Northern Han will collapse without battle."

Gaoping lies south of Lu Prefecture and is a necessary passage for the Northern Han's southern advance. Its terrain is perilous, with overlapping mountains, making it an ideal ambush site.

Fan Zhi's analysis was clear and logical, hitting the nail on the head.

Upon hearing these words, Guo Rong's eyes lit up.

"Excellent! Chancellor Fan's words exactly meet my heart!"

"But..." Fan Zhi shifted his tone, his face showing difficulty: "The Battle of Gaoping is a matter of national fate; victory must be won, defeat is not allowed. It must be overseen by a general who can command the scene and possesses great prestige; otherwise the troops will waver, chaos will arise in battle, and the undertaking will fail."

"According to Chancellor Fan's view, who is fit for this task?" Guo Rong asked.

Fan Zhi's gaze swept across the ranks of the generals.

Those generals who had just been clamoring to go to war now lowered their heads, unable to meet his gaze.

They all knew this battle was too risky; winning would bring chief merit, losing could cost them their heads, even the loss of the state.

No one dared to wager their own lives and fortunes on this.

Fan Zhi fell silent.

The entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Guo Rong's heart sank little by little.

He understood.

Fan Zhi was not lacking a suitable candidate; he wanted to go himself, knowing that leading the army in person was the best option, but he could not say it out of his own mouth.

After all, across the whole Great Zhou, the only one capable of restraining those arrogant and battle-hardened generals, ensuring they harbor no ulterior motives on the battlefield, is this newly returned emperor from the southern campaign, whose prestige is at its zenith.

"Your Majesty, I believe..." Fan Zhi still wanted to say more.

"No need to say more." Guo Rong interrupted him.

He slowly rose from the dragon throne.

His gaze swept over those who shrank back or avoided him, and a hint of self-mockery appeared on his face.

"What my father said was correct—an emperor is indeed a lonely soul."

He drew a deep breath, and his voice echoed throughout the hall.

"Since none of you officials dare to take on this task, then I will personally fight this battle!"

"Issue my decree! I will personally lead the campaign, commanding the great army north to Gaoping to meet the enemy!"

Moreover, during my absence from the capital, the chancellor Fan Zhi shall jointly administer state affairs with the Minister of Revenue, Wang Hao; all major military and state matters shall be decided by their consultation.

Upon these words, the entire court was astonished.

Everyone's gaze, with a swish, focused on the young man standing among the civil officials who had remained silent all along.

Wang Hao.

【55】 Wang Hao.

He had once again been thrust into the center of power.