Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 653 Father, Son, Brother, and Sister Discuss Their Future

When Liu Huai arrived near Licheng, he ordered the Jingnan banner to be taken down. Then, accompanied by several personal guards, he arrived at the government office of Jinan Prefecture.

This place had become the central hub for the Shandong rebels in northern Shandong. Wei Sheng personally oversaw operations here, mobilizing laborers and provisions, and issuing military and political orders. Its political significance was immense.

While Liu Huai was fighting the Jin army on both the northern and southern fronts, Shandong remained peaceful thanks to Wei Sheng, who played a crucial role in stabilizing the situation.

"Ah Jun!" As soon as Liu Huai entered the government office, the first thing he saw was Wei Rujun's busy figure, and he immediately called out loudly.

Wei Rujun was talking to a group of women when she heard that familiar tone. She shuddered violently and, amidst the surprised gazes of the female officials, jumped up and rushed over.

Liu Huai quickly put his arm around Wei Rujun's waist and pulled her into his arms.

Shen Longzi and Bi Zaiyu, who were following behind Liu Huai, coughed a few times at the same time and said to the guards behind them, "Go out and find some food. Don't just stand here like idiots."

At the same time, Bi Zaiyu winked and waved to the female officials.

Amidst the laughter and chatter of the group, only the two people embracing remained once they entered the government office.

"Brother!" Wei Rujun, being rather shy, had already grabbed Liu Huai's collar, covering her entire face: "Why didn't you inform us of your return?"

Liu Huai patted Wei Rujun's back and said, "I've come home, why do I need to report? After seeing Father and discussing some matters, I must leave immediately. Shandong West Road has been newly established, and there are still many things waiting for me to handle."

"Huh?" Wei Rujun tugged at Liu Huai's sleeve, looked up, and said with a blush, "Brother, are you leaving again? Can't you stay a little longer?"

Liu Huai lowered his head and gently kissed Wei Rujun's forehead: "Ajun, this won't do. Spring plowing is just around the corner. If something goes wrong, and a famine breaks out next year, that would be a terrible thing."

Wei Rujun wasn't unaware of priorities, but the thought of her marriage being delayed again and again still made her feel aggrieved.

She buried her face in Liu Huai's arms again and said in a muffled voice, "Brother, your reputation is growing and your official position is rising. Countless wealthy families want to marry you. They are all ladies from noble families. Even if you are not interested, after seeing so many, you will look down on a country bumpkin like me, right?"

Liu Huai was somewhat amused and exasperated: "I'm constantly on the battlefield, fighting and battling. How could I possibly have time to have a secret affair with a young lady? Besides, with my warrior's temperament, what noble lady would ever be interested in me?"

Wei Rujun's voice was muffled: "Brother, don't try to fool me. Do you know that these days, quite a few pretty young ladies have set their sights on me? Humph, they fawn over me from the very first meeting and even call me their sister. Do they really think I can't see through their intentions?"

As she spoke, Wei Rujun punched Liu Huai in the chest: "I'm not a jealous person, but I'm not even married yet, and they're already making these kinds of moves... I was here first..."

Liu Huai tightened his arms around Wei Rujun and whispered in her ear, "Does Ajun know that before I came back, I met with Yu Yunwen, the Jianghuai Pacification Commissioner of the Song Kingdom?"

"Ah."

"Besides official business, I also told Minister Yu that if there is no war this year, I will get married and invite him to the wedding."

"Hmm, what did Master Yu say?"

He said he would prepare a generous gift and have someone deliver it to him.

Wei Rujun seemed to feel a little better and looked up again: "This Minister Yu is really inconsiderate. My brother has helped him so many times, yet he won't even come to see my brother on his wedding day."

"Alas, that Minister Yu is a high-ranking official of the state, bearing heavy responsibilities in the Huai River region. How can he abandon his post because of a marriage?"

This question did not come from Liu Huai's reply, but rather from the screen wall behind the government office.

Liu Huai and Wei Rujun quickly separated, only to see Wei Sheng stroking his beard and smiling as he walked out from behind the screen wall.

“Father.” Liu Huai bowed respectfully.

Wei Rujun was both ashamed and angry, and stomped her foot angrily: "Father, when did you arrive? Why didn't you tell your daughter?"

Wei Sheng said with a smile, "I arrived around the time you uttered those jealous words, A-Jun."

"Father, you!" Wei Rujun was even more embarrassed and angry, but she couldn't throw a tantrum or curse back. Instead, she covered her face, turned around, and left.

Wei Sheng called out to Wei Rujun's retreating figure, "Go and prepare some food and wine. Your brother must be exhausted from the journey."

Wei Rujun didn't turn around, just gave a perfunctory reply, and ran far away in a short while.

"Father." Liu Huai bowed again.

Wei Sheng approached Liu Huai, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Brother, after this great battle, Shandong was liberated on both sides, and you deserve great credit."

Liu Huai also laughed, then sighed inexplicably and said, "But it has left a lot of trouble. The original plan to accumulate strength for two years before launching a northern expedition has completely failed." Wei Sheng could only sigh and say, "Never mind, plans can never keep up with changes. It's good that we won, it's good that we won."

As Liu Huai said, this hastily fought battle has effectively disrupted Shandong's development.

The most obvious change is in trade. Most of the ships that were originally going to go to sea have gone to the inland rivers to transport grain and fodder. The salt produced by the Haizhou saltworks is still piling up in the warehouse. I heard that the price of salt in Lianghuai has increased by 50%.

Plans to build water conservancy and roads in various places were completely shelved, and the construction of sanctuary schools in the military garrisons and community schools in the local areas was also halted.

Spring plowing was just around the corner, and the laborers could no longer be gathered together. They could only be sent back to their hometowns with their rewards and grain to tend the fields.

But what Wei Sheng said wasn't entirely wrong. In the end, the battle was won, and the victor on the battlefield should not be blamed in any way.

After the two men sat down in the back hall of the government office and drank two cups of tea, Liu Huai took out a thick scroll of documents from his bosom: "Father, the most important thing I did upon returning was to write a report of victory. Li Tong, Liang Su, Chief Secretary He, and Mr. Lu have all read it and made additions and deletions. I hope you can take a look. If possible, please send the head of the Jin invaders and the captured drums and flags to the Song state to report the victory."

Wei Sheng took the document and read it carefully.

He wasn't angry that Liu Huai had written the victory report in advance, because Wei Sheng had gradually transferred command of the two routes in Shandong to Liu Huai. Personnel matters are politics; if Liu Huai didn't even have the power to report victories to whom, how could he have any political standing?
"Hmm, not bad, but are there some people missing?" Wei Sheng shook his head after reading it twice: "Don't make such oversights again, or it will discourage the meritorious officials."

Liu Huai remained silent for a long time before saying, "Some people don't want the rewards from the Song Kingdom."

Wei Sheng was taken aback, then looked through the victory report again and found that not only were the names of die-hards such as Li Tong, Liang Su, and He Boqiu missing, but more than half of the generals of the Taiping Army, including Xin Qiji, refused to sign their names.

The names of many Dongping army generals, such as Zhang Baiyu, were not even mentioned.

Liu Huai felt somewhat helpless about this.

This is a great opportunity to extort money from the State of Song. Even if you don't want the reward, you can donate it to the army for unified use!
But for Xin Qiji, Zhang Baiyu, and others, their stance was the most important factor.

While they weren't quite as physically disgusted as He Boqiu and He Sanye, the mere thought of any connection to the Song state was enough to make them stand firm and demonstrate their loyalty to Liu Huai in this way.

To paraphrase Xin Qiji: A true man who entrusts himself to the service of the state must see things through to the end. How can he be swayed by a mere reward?
Of course, Xin Qiji privately told Li Tieqiang and others that, given the Song Dynasty's tendency to add its own elements, they might just select a position like the Jiedushi of the Tianping Army or the Transport Commissioner of Shandong West Road from among the generals of the Tianping Army.

It would be disgusting if they were helped up and put on equal footing with Wei Sheng and Liu Huai to compete in the arena.

Even if the two are broad-minded and wouldn't hold a grudge over such a small matter, I still have to be careful every day.

Wei Sheng looked at Liu Huai with a complicated expression, sighing repeatedly, but there was nothing he could do.

In essence, the alienation of the northern heroes from the Song state was not Liu Huai's fault, but rather caused by the Song state's repeated betrayals of the northern people.

With Liu Huai around, they could still use the slogan "Expel the Tartars and restore China" to win over the heroes of the north.

Without Liu Huai, Wei Sheng would not have been able to unite so many people. Not to mention the recovery of the entire Shandong region, He Boqiu would have led a group of powerful figures from Yizhou to their deaths on that day. Where would the later campaigns in the south and north have come from?
To put it bluntly, if Wei Sheng were to strip Liu Huai of his military power now, bring the entire Shandong region under Song control, and become a loyal subject of Song from then on, Shandong would immediately erupt in jubilation.

Believe it or not, officials under the military governors such as Li Tong, Liang Su, and He Boqiu, military leaders such as Luo Shenyan, Shi Qilang, and Xin Qiji, and local officials such as Cui Hama, Luo Guzi, and Zhang Chou would immediately rebel?

At that time, the promising situation of the Northern Expedition would be lost.

"Then so be it." Wei Sheng shook his head and sighed, "But there is one thing that needs to be changed. Don't give the credit for this battle to me. You, my eldest son, should take the credit."

Liu Huai shook his head: "How can a father's name be subordinate to his son's?"

Seeing that Wei Sheng was about to say something more, Liu Huai interrupted, saying, "Father, if my name is first, then some petty people will think that there is a rift between you and me, and they will resort to some underhanded means. Even if we are not afraid, it is ultimately not worth it to trouble ourselves over such trivial matters."

Wei Sheng shook his head with a wry smile: "You, you always think too much and are too wicked. You're not even thirty yet, but your heart is like that of an old man. You're always doubting this and worrying about that, never stopping for a moment."

Liu Huai smiled bitterly as well: "The world is a dangerous place, and I have no choice but to accept it. Just like the matter of the Song army crossing the Huai River a while ago, it wasn't that I didn't want to give the Song face..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Sheng's expression finally turned serious: "Brother, this is what you did wrong."

Liu Huai thought Wei Sheng was going to talk about cutting off Li Bao's army's retreat, and was about to refute him.

Unexpectedly, Wei Sheng's next words were: "The Huaidong army plundered Suqian, how can you let them retreat safely without any punishment or trial?"

Liu Huai was somewhat taken aback.

Good grief, Wei Sheng actually thinks he went too far?

(End of this chapter)