Chapter 89

…

The next morning, Ye Shi Yun had just woken when she heard that Zhang Chun had not returned all night—perhaps she had successfully served the emperor.

Ye Shi Yun frowned suspiciously. "Can you serve the emperor even when you're on your period? Or did Zhao Yu break the rules? Zhao Yu isn't short of women—why would he do something like this? I just don't believe it."

Driven by curiosity, Ye Shi Yun didn't linger in bed; spurred by burning gossip, she quickly washed up and set off for Zhang Chun's home with Zhao Yuannu.

To Ye Shi Yun's surprise, Li Lin was there too.

"Aren't you supposed to be training Zhao Yu in Prisoner Fitness and Yoga today?" Ye Shi Yun asked.

"He's training Daoist health practices with the Daoist Priests today," Li Lin replied.

"He really does love staying fit. If he keeps training like this, he might live to be a hundred." Ye Shi Yun said.

"He might have that chance—if he weren't so fond of women," Li Lin said. "I originally worried he'd quit because he couldn't stand the pain. But despite his casual promise at first, once he started training, he became unusually serious and diligent—never complained, always pushing himself."

Here, Li Lin added with admiration: "I wasn't this disciplined when I trained. If he keeps this up, I could teach him some military skills. With his inevitable strength, he might become a decent special forces soldier."

Ye Shi Yun rolled her eyes. "He's the Emperor—you want to turn him into a special forces soldier? What's wrong with your brain?"

Li Lin realized it was absurd and shrugged, unimpressed.

"You're here to watch the spectacle too?" Ye Shi Yun asked.

Li Lin didn't deny it. "The tiger squat cannon and thunder bombs are done—only the gunpowder needs to pass inspection before deployment. Since I'm no longer teaching Zhao Yu Prisoner Fitness and Yoga, I've got nothing to do but come here to kill time."

"I envy Xiao Jiao and Qing Cheng—they can devote themselves fully to their dreams," Li Lin said, looking at Ye Shi Yun. "You and Zhang Chun aren't bad either—even if you're a bit reckless, you're still doing what you want. Only I've been wasting time."

"Who's being reckless?" Ye Shi Yun grumbled, then lectured Li Lin: "You've got blessings you don't know how to enjoy. If you've got nothing to do, just eat, drink, and have fun—why torture yourself?"

"I can't sit still," Li Lin said.

Ye Shi Yun shook her head. "I'm not saying this to be harsh, but in this era, for a woman to command troops is already a thousandfold obstacle. And you refuse to sleep with Zhao Yu—how can he trust you? How can he give you such an opportunity? That's military power—not a trivial matter."

Li Lin remained unmoved. "Mind your own business—I have my own principles."

"A dog bites Lü Dongbin—doesn't recognize good intentions," Ye Shi Yun thought.

At that moment, Zhang Chun was carried back on a shoulder palanquin by four eunuchs.

As soon as Zhang Chun stepped off the palanquin, Li Lin and Ye Shi Yun saw her legs were stiff—she walked with a limp.

Zhang Chun's maids, including Li Shishi, hurried over to help her back inside.

Li Lin and Ye Shi Yun also went to meet her.

Li Lin asked half-heartedly: "Did you successfully serve the emperor?"

With so many people around, how could Zhang Chun tell the truth? She evasively replied: "Adults' affairs—children shouldn't ask."

Li Lin froze. She thought to herself, "Ah, this isn't my last life anymore—even Zhang Chun dares to talk to me like this now."

Back at Zhang Chun's residence, Ye Shi Yun waited a long time before finally catching Zhang Chun alone. She whispered in her ear: "You didn't… get taken by Zhao Yu, did you?"

Before Ye Shi Yun could finish, Zhang Chun clapped a hand over her mouth.

…

Three days later, reports arrived simultaneously from the northwestern and Hebei frontlines: the Xia and Liao armies were making major moves.

Ma Zheng, the envoy sent to Liao, also brought back rumors that the Liao army was assembling, preparing for a large-scale southern invasion—the situation was on the brink of explosion.

Yan region was naturally defensible: northwest of Yizhou lay Zijing Pass, west of Changping lay Juyong Pass, north of Shunzhou lay Gubeikou, northeast of Jingzhou lay Song Ting Pass, and east of Pingzhou lay Yuguan.

These passes formed a natural boundary between the barbarians and the Han, one man holding the pass, ten thousand unable to pass.

If the Zhao Song dynasty held Yan region and the three states of Ping, Ying, and Luan, along with these passes, and combined them with the already-controlled Hedong region, the entire Guannei area would be secure.

But the problem was, the three states of Ping, Ying, and Luan beyond Yuguan had been seized by Liao's founding emperor Yelü Abaoji since the Later Tang era—he renamed Pingzhou as Liaoxing Prefecture, governing Ying and Luan, and called it Pingzhou Road.

By the time of Shi Jingtang, Emperor Taizong of Liao gained control of You, Tan, Shun, Jing, Ji, Zhuo, and Yi states in Yan region, established Yanshan Road, making it parallel to Pingzhou Road.

So long as these two roads remained in Liao hands, Liao cavalry could march south at will—as if strolling through their own backyard.

Moreover, if the offensive went smoothly, Liao's iron cavalry could reach the Zhao Song capital, Dongjing Bianliang, within days.

In fact, the Zhao Song dynasty had established four military strongholds in Hebei: four Pacification Commissioner Roads: one, Gaoyang Pass Road, headquartered in Hejian Prefecture; two, Dingzhou Prefecture Road, headquartered in Zhongshan Prefecture; three, Zhen Ding Prefecture Road, headquartered in Zhen Ding Prefecture; four, Great Ming Prefecture Road, headquartered in Beijing Great Ming Prefecture.

The garrisons of Gaoyang Pass, Dingzhou, and Zhen Ding Roads, together with those in Taiyuan Prefecture and Dai Prefecture in Hedong, formed a north-south deep defense system, while the Great Ming Prefecture Road garrisons spread east-west along the Yellow River, forming a horizontal defense line—the second line of Zhao Song's northern defenses.

This defense system was meant to block Liao's southern advance.

Unfortunately, since the Treaty of Chanyuan, Liao and Song had gone nearly a hundred years without war—this defense system now existed only in name.

Worse, the Treaty of Chanyuan had already proven that even with this defense system intact, it could not stop Liao's iron cavalry from swiftly advancing and threatening the Zhao Song capital.

So when Song Chen heard the Liao army was preparing a major southern invasion, they panicked.

Worse still, the Xia army was also assembling, seemingly intending to join Liao in attacking Song.

In this era, transportation and communication were extremely difficult; moving troops between battlefields was hard. If Song fought both nations simultaneously, its limited forces would be split, leaving each front vulnerable from insufficient manpower.

Moreover, fighting both Liao and Xia at once would create multiple gaps along the border defenses, making them hard to hold.

Also, fighting on two fronts would double the consumption of weapons, grain, and horses.

This raised logistical supply issues.

Further, due to backward transportation technology and high long-distance losses, two-front warfare would impose a crushing economic burden on the state.

Two-front warfare would also lengthen supply lines and make them vulnerable to attack—if cut, the frontline troops would be trapped in desperation.

Worse still, fighting both nations at once would place Song in the perilous position of being attacked from front and rear, making it impossible to concentrate on one enemy, and risking a coordinated pincer attack.

In short, going to war with both Liao and Xia at once was absolutely not a wise choice—especially for the Zhao Song dynasty, already burdened with countless problems.

Yet Zhao Yu chose to follow Zhang Dun's advice: he posthumously honored Wang Shao, Li Xian, and other frontier-expanding heroes, and further rewarded Zhang Jie, Guo Cheng, and others for their achievements in the Pingxiacheng campaign.

Then Zhao Yu issued an imperial decree appointing Zhang Jie as commander to further strengthen the northwestern defenses, build Chengzhai fortifications, consolidate control over the Hengshan region, weaken Western Xia's military threat, and simultaneously prepare troops and supplies for imminent war with Western Xia.

Zhao Yu also personally appointed Guo Cheng as main general, declaring he would personally serve as supreme commander, beginning to concentrate troops toward Hebei, preparing for a personal campaign to respond to Liao's military posturing.

Seeing Zhao Yu adopt Zhang Dun and the New Party hardliners' advice, showing a willingness to fight both Liao and Xia at once, the conservative New Party led by Ceng Bu and the Old Party all fiercely opposed.

Han Zhongyan said: "The morale of Hebei's troops is already shaken. If Liao invades, battle is inevitable. Liao troops are always arrogant and unstoppable—if we send our forces out, we'll surely break at the sight of them—this is what military strategists dread. I beg Your Majesty to think thrice before acting."

Ceng Bu said: "The capital is the foundation of the empire—if the foundation trembles, how can the empire stand? If Liao's troops reach the city gates again, our Great Song's two-century legacy will be in peril."

Zhang Dun rebutted: "In days past, the Liao state fielded a million troops, advancing straight to Chan Yuan. Thanks to the ancestral spirit and the fortune of the state, Lord Kou insisted that His Majesty personally lead the campaign. The imperial carriage crossed the river, our troops' morale surged, and the enemy general Tala was shot dead; the Liao army's morale collapsed, and they sent envoys to seek peace, allowing Hebei to be reclaimed. If the Liao truly dare march south, let Your Majesty emulate Emperor Zhenzong and lead the army in person—this will surely secure another hundred years of peace."

Cai Bian followed suit in rebuttal: "Seeking peace through submission yields no peace; seeking peace through war achieves it. Peace is not won by humbling oneself to flatter the enemy, but by relying on strong military preparedness—to stop war through war, making the enemy fear our might and dare not invade, thus peace naturally follows."

Zhao Yu sat upon the imperial throne, watching these ministers quarrel, unmoved.

It was not that Zhao Yu approved of any of their positions.

In Zhao Yu's view, among the several chancellors, Cai Bian spoke most reasonably: to beg for peace from the start is not only futile, but even if peace were granted, it would likely mean increased annual tributes to Liao and Xia, a loss of sovereignty and national humiliation, and added burden upon the Zhao Song dynasty—so the sword must first be drawn.

Of course, drawing the sword does not mean fighting—if war can be avoided, it should be.

There was no choice: though Liao and Xia were both weak, the Zhao Song dynasty's actual condition stood before them—should war break out, victory or defeat was far from certain.

Moreover, Zhao Yu felt that with ten or twenty years, whether Liao, Western Xia, the Jurchens gathering strength in the northeast, or even the ununified Mongols, he could extinguish them all.

But then again, though Zhao Yu had already decided in his heart to bide his time and grow stronger for a few years, outwardly he must remain resolute—he could not let Yelu Hongji and Li Qianshun, these two paper tigers, intimidate him.

To demonstrate his firmness, Zhao Yu ordered Zhang Dun to cobble together two million guan: one million allocated to the Western Army, thirty thousand to the Hebei Imperial Guards, and seventy thousand to the Capital Region Imperial Guards.

Additionally, Zhao Yu dispatched Zhang Shuye and Wang Bin to Xiangzhou and other regions in Hebei, long famed for producing fierce soldiers, to recruit courageous men; he sent Zong Ze and He Guan to Shaanxi to recruit heroic warriors from Guanzhong, gathering ten thousand elite troops to reinforce his personal guard, fully staging the drama of his impending personal campaign.

At court, Ceng Bu and Han Zhongyan failed to out-debate Zhang Dun and Cai Bian.

After court, Ceng Bu and Han Zhongyan jointly went to the Chuigong Palace to meet Zhao Yu.

Ceng Bu was short and thin; Han Zhongyan was tall and imposing. One was Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, the other Left Vice Minister, often standing side by side in court debating issues. Due to their starkly contrasting physiques, contemporaries mockingly called them the "Tortoise-and-Crane Chancellors."

In the Chuigong Palace, they again passionately argued to Zhao Yu the dangers of fighting on two fronts, urging him not to wage war simultaneously against Liao and Xia.

With no one else present, Zhao Yu spoke frankly to Ceng Bu and Han Zhongyan: "I have just ascended the throne—if I appear weak abroad, how can I face my subjects? How can I rule the realm? I shall not hide from you two loyal ministers: if Liao and Xia do not show sincerity, I cannot answer to my people or the empire—how could I hesitate to fight?"

Ceng Bu and Han Zhongyan understood: Zhao Yu was not wholeheartedly backing the New Party hardliners, nor was he determined to wage war—he merely had to project strength. If they could negotiate a peace treaty that gave Zhao Yu both face and substance, he would support them.

Armed with Zhao Yu's bottom line, Ceng Bu and Han Zhongyan shed their earlier worries and each dispatched capable envoys to negotiate with the Liao and Xia envoys.

Having entrusted the peace talks to Ceng Bu and Han Zhongyan, Zhao Yu returned to the inner palace.

As he entered the inner palace gate, Zhao Yu saw Li Lin pacing outside.

Seeing Zhao Yu return, Li Lin hurried forward, desperately signaling him with her eyes, begging him to speak with her.

Seeing this, Zhao Yu raised a hand—those behind him did not follow.

After walking a dozen zhang away, feeling others could no longer hear them, Li Lin whispered to Zhao Yu: "May I ask, Your Majesty, could that ten thousand courageous recruits be trained into a new army according to my method?"

Zhao Yu replied noncommittally: "How goes the development of the Hongtian Lei and the Huqun Pao?"

Li Lin answered: "The portions under my and Xiao Jiao's charge are complete. We only await the gunpowder, modified according to my method, to test them."

Firearm production in this era had already taken shape: in Dongjing Bianliang stood the Guangbei Gongcheng Zuo, employing over five thousand artisans, divided into ten workshops, including a Gunpowder Workshop and a specialized Firearm Workshop.

The city's dense population and low fire-resistance building materials caused frequent fires—minor ones countless, major ones occurring at least one or two every year.

Causes of fire were many: accidental ignition, arson, lightning strikes, and so on.

The most dangerous and hardest-to-extinguish fires were those ignited by gunpowder.

One could say: once gunpowder ignited, it was a great disaster.

During Emperor Zhenzong's reign, a "zuo shou" (technician) in the Firearm Workshop packed gunpowder too forcefully, sparking a spark—suddenly, cannon blasts shook the heavens, the earth trembled, all workers in the workshop were blown to death; homes within three li were either collapsed by the shockwave or burned to ashes; roughly thirteen hundred people perished in that fire.

Developing gunpowder necessarily required stockpiling large quantities of saltpeter, sulfur, charcoal, and even finished gunpowder—all highly flammable and explosive, easily triggering fires.

Originally, Li Lin had intended to develop gunpowder herself—but who would allow her to do so inside the palace?

Later, Zhao Yu sent Accompanying Tong Guan to the Gunpowder Workshop to summon the finest artisans, letting Li Lin instruct them directly, resolving the issue.

Now, Li Lin and Ma Xiao Jiao had already produced the Huqun Pao and Hongtian Lei; once loaded with the gunpowder Li Lin had overseen, Zhao Yu's Shenji Camp might finally have its primary weapon.

Since there was nothing else to do this afternoon, Zhao Yu said: "You and Xiao Jiao prepare yourselves—I will order Accompanying Tong Guan to fetch the gunpowder and test the true power of these two divine weapons…"

…

(End of Chapter)