Chapter 372: Northern Di's Movements

Just as Chen Wen was reviewing the memorials about internal power shifts in the False Song court in the Hall of Supreme Harmony;

a cold current from the genuine northern grasslands was quietly brewing;

and began to slowly approach the newly stabilized northern borders of Great Chen.

Khitan, Shangjing Linhuang Fu.

Compared to the prosperity and order of Bian Liang, the capital of this grassland empire appears more rugged and stern.

Inside the palace tent, the smell of medicinal herbs is so strong it almost overwhelms the original milk and leather scents.

Emperor Yelü Xian, his complexion sallow, eyes sunken, lies on a thick wolf‑skin mat, his chest rising and falling violently;

each breath seems to exhaust all his strength.

His illness has long been chronic.

In recent years it has only worsened.

This emperor, who was enthroned by the Gao clan nobles Xiao Siwen and Yelü Xianshi during the upheaval of the nineteenth year of Yingli, intending to make his mark;

has now been reduced to a withered shell by prolonged illness.

The atmosphere in the tent is heavy.

Several Khitan senior officials stand with hands lowered, their faces full of worry and unease.

The empire's future, like the overcast sky outside the tent, is dark and uncertain.

Beside Emperor Yelü Xian's couch sits a young woman dressed in Khitan noblewomen's attire, her demeanor unusually calm and resolute;

she is carefully feeding him decoction with a silver spoon.

She is Empress Xiao Chuo, wife of Yelü Xian.

At this moment she has not yet fully revealed all the sharpness of ruling a vast empire;

but the wisdom and determination flickering in her phoenix eyes are enough to make any veteran Khitan general in the tent dare not underestimate her.

"Your Majesty, take the medicine."

Xiao Chuo's voice is gentle, her movements light, as she tries to pour the bitter liquid into her husband's mouth.

Yelü Xian barely swallows a few sips before bursting into a violent cough, the medicine spilling from the corner of his mouth and staining his front.

Xiao Chuo quickly puts down the medicine bowl, wipes his mouth with a silk handkerchief, a flicker of heartache and anxiety crossing her eyes that she cannot conceal.

The imperial physicians are helpless, the officials panic.

She knows her husband's time is short.

Their ten‑year‑old son, Prince Liang Yelü Longxu, is still young.

Once the emperor dies, the state will face a minor ruler and doubtful succession;

will those imperial princes wielding heavy armies and those unruly tribal chiefs willingly submit to a young widow and a child ruler?

The hidden crisis within Khitan is far more urgent and deadly than the seemingly greater threat posed by the newly founded Chen dynasty to the south.

"Chuo… Chuo'er…"

Yelü Xian struggles to lift his hand, grabbing Xiao Chuo's wrist; his hand is icy and weak.

"I… I fear… I cannot…"

"Your Majesty, do not speak nonsense!"

Xiao Chuo grips his hand tightly, her tone firm, as if trying to transfer her strength to him.

"You are the true Son of Heaven, blessed by Heaven itself; you will surely recover."

Yelü Xian weakly shakes his head, his murky gaze sweeping over the officials bowing their heads in the tent, finally settling on Xiao Chuo's face.

"State affairs… afterwards… will have to rely heavily on you…"

"Southern Dynasty… Chen… Wen…"

He haltingly says, his tone complex when mentioning the name "Chen Wen";

"Not… a mere pond creature…"

"To be on good terms with him… do not… do not easily provoke conflict…"

"First… first stabilize… the interior…"

This is the clearest, yet most helpless strategic judgment he can make given Khitan's current situation.

To treat as an enemy a rising dynasty that has just shown its muscle in the northern borders would be utterly unwise.

Especially when Khitan itself faces the great risk of a power transition.

Xiao Chuo nods heavily, tears welling in her eyes but she forces them back.

"I understand."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I know what to do."

She understands her husband's entrustment.

Stabilizing the Southern Dynasty, even if only a temporary, superficial friendship, is to buy precious time and space for a smooth internal power transition in Khitan.

A few days later Yelü Xian's condition stabilizes slightly, but any discerning eye can see this is merely a temporary rally before death.

As Empress, Xiao Chuo begins to delve deeper into state affairs.

She relies on the political legacy left by her father Xiao Siwen and her own outstanding ability;

she quickly wins over Han Derang and a group of Han and Khitan officials, gradually consolidating the power base for herself and her young son.

At the same time, an edict issued in Yelü Xian's name under Xiao Chuo's direction is sent by express horse to the Southern Chen court.

In the edict the wording remains courteous, reaffirming friendly trade relations;

and it expresses sympathy for the Chen dynasty's "losses" after the Battle of Xiongzhou.

To the capable officials of the Chen dynasty's Privy Council and Jing'an Office;

however, beneath the edict's warm surface lies an obvious detachment and caution.

Previous tentative proposals for jointly suppressing the False Song, even limited military cooperation, were not mentioned at all in the state letter.

Border market trade remained prosperous; the exchange of furs, cattle and sheep for tea, silk, and ironware was booming.

But the Khitan officials stationed there were noticeably more businesslike than before, lacking some of their former warmth.

Some previously tacitly allowed informal channels for sharing border intelligence also seemed to have been quietly cut off by an unseen hand.

"The Khitans… things might be changing."

Inside the Xiongzhou General's Manor, Shi Dun slammed the copy of the Khitan state letter forwarded by the Imperial Court heavily onto the desk, his thick black brows knotting into a wrinkle.

He stood before the huge northern border map, his eyes sharp as a blade;

scanning back and forth between the vast Khitan steppes and the winding frontier of Great Chen's northern border.

"Yelü Xian is gravely ill, and Empress Xiao holds power."

He said in a deep voice to his subordinates.

"According to reports from our Scouts sent to the steppes and the words of passing caravans, this Empress Xiao is no ordinary figure."

"She is meticulous in thought, decisive in action, and has won the support of a portion of the nobility."

"Her primary concern now is to stabilize internal affairs, so toward us she will inevitably both court and guard against."

"Courting means maintaining trade routes to obtain the supplies they need, while also stabilizing us so we don't stab them in the back when they are internally unstable."

"Guarding against us fears our influence growing too large, intervening in Khitan internal affairs, and even more fears that we will become a greater threat than the False Song in the future!"

A deputy general spoke up:

"General, if that is the case, should we increase the troops for border patrol?"

"I worry that if the Khitan interior truly descends into chaos, there could be routed soldiers or unruly tribes moving south to plunder and disturb our border people."

Shi Dun nodded, then shook his head.

"Increasing troops is necessary, but we must not do it ostentatiously, lest we provoke the other side."

"Issue orders to all border prefecture garrisons: double the number of patrol scouts and extend the patrol range outward by thirty li."

"Especially those small market towns and border villages, add extra cavalry pickets."

"But remember, if the Khitans do not provoke us first, we must not attack first; even small groups of routed troops should be driven off mainly, and we should try not to escalate the incident."

He walked to the map and pointed at several key passes.

"Here, here, and here, set up more hidden posts and equip them with double the signal arrows."

"Spread some of our stockpiled 'iron caltrops' and 'horse-tripping spikes' outside these passes for me."

"Let the Khitans know we are not to be messed with, but we also do not want to start trouble."

"I will obey the order!"

Shi Dun paused, looked over everyone, and his tone grew grave.

"His Majesty's meaning is clear: at present, our main opponents are still the False Song and the Iron Crow Army beyond the Light Curtain."

"As for this northern neighbor, as long as they do not actively come south looking for trouble, we will continue to trade with them and maintain this superficial peace."

"But!"

His voice suddenly rose, carrying a tone of iron and blood.

"Whoever thinks Great Chen's northern border can be bullied and dares to stretch out their claws…"

"then I will give them a sound thrashing, chop off their claws, and make them remember it for a long time!"

"Did everyone understand that?"

"Understood!" the generals shouted in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.

Shi Dun's deployment quickly turned into a series of concrete, minute actions along the northern border defense line.

Under the bustle of border trade, the atmosphere acquired a subtle tension not easily noticed.

In the south, Bian Liang Huangcheng.

Chen Wen likewise received Shi Dun's memorial on northern border preparedness, as well as Qian Gui's more detailed analysis of the Khitan internal power transition.

He stood before the huge map of the world, his gaze lingering long on the vast northern steppes.

Yelü Xian is gravely ill, Empress Xiao holds power…

These pieces of information, through the Jing'an Si channels and word‑of‑mouth from traveling merchants, continually gathered on his desk.

Drawing on years of political experience and keen intuition;

Chen Wen could also clearly sense that the northern neighbor was undergoing a profound internal division.

The rise of a strong and capable woman at the heart of power often means the old balance is broken.

For the newly stabilized northern border of Great Chen, whether this is a blessing or a calamity remains unknown.

"Xiao Chuo…"

Chen Wen whispered this name from the intelligence.

According to Qian Gui's description, this woman demonstrated composure and decisiveness far beyond ordinary people during Yelü Xian's severe illness.

To have such an unknown yet evidently highly capable opponent as a neighbor;

Great Chen's northern border will likely find it hard to remain as peacefully undisturbed as it was when dealing with Yelü Jing before.

Although they have currently sent a state letter showing goodwill, that is evidently only a temporary expedient.

Once she thoroughly clears internal obstacles and integrates Khitan strength;

the future border troubles will likely be more thorny and unpredictable than the military threat posed by the False Song.

"Issue the edict to Shi Dun."

Chen Wen did not turn around, but instructed the attending eunuch Fu Quan, who stood respectfully at his side.

"His handling is very much in accordance with My wishes."

"For northern border affairs, grant him the authority to act decisively on the spot."

While we must maintain border stability, we also need to display our dynasty's military might; the extent is up to you decide.

Also, prioritize allocating the newly improved batch of "Demon‑Dispelling Crossbows" and "Guard‑Heart Talismans" from the Ministry of Works to the armies of the northern border.

The old servant obeys the order. Fu Quan bowed, received the command, and quickly stepped down to deliver the edict.

Chen Wen again turned his gaze toward the map.

To the east lies the False Song, across the sea; to the west are the vassal states not yet fully subdued; to the north is the powerful neighbor Khitan, on the brink of a crucial power transition…

This game of the world, with internal turmoil in the False Song and changes in Khitan, seems to be becoming even more bewildering.

He gently pressed his aching forehead, then took a deep breath.

Steady.

What matters most now is still to steady oneself, develop internal affairs, and accumulate strength.

Only when one is strong enough can one calmly face the storms from all directions.

Whether it's the internal turmoil of the False Song or the changes in Khitan, they are merely ripples in this long journey.

He turned and walked toward the imperial desk.

There, memorials piled up like mountains, awaiting his review.

The southern grain transport, the Ministry of Works' technology, the crown prince's studies, the folk conditions of all regions…

Countless threads all hinge on him alone.

The empire's wheels continue to roll forward, heavy and steadfast, amidst the atmosphere of impending wind and rain.