The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 201 Offering Advice Before the Emperor
Although the heavy snow has stopped, the frost covering the earth and the biting cold seem to be freezing the entire Huai River area.

In early December, the Zhou emperor's carriage departed from Shouzhou City, then crossed the south bank of Xia Cai, and proceeded eastward along the Huai River to Wokou.

Even though several ministers, including Fan Zhi and Wang Pu, tearfully remonstrated with the emperor, the empress sent someone from Yingzhou to persuade him to temporarily halt the military campaign.

But Chai Rong hesitated to make up his mind to return to his post. The resentment in his heart was like magma, burning every inch of his will.

After months of unstoppable progress, with vast tracts of land in hand, the opportunity to ride the Yangtze River and dominate Nanjing is just around the corner... Is all of this going to go down the drain and all our previous efforts going to waste?

Therefore, Chai Rong wanted to personally inspect the Huai River line to see the actual situation of the various armies.

However, what they saw and heard during the inspection was shocking—

The soldiers, shivering from the cold, wrapped themselves in whatever rags and straw they could find to keep warm. Many of them had their faces, hands, and feet swollen and even ulcerated from the cold.

The grain and supply wagons were stuck in the mud and could not move, cutting off the supply line and making it impossible to continue the long supply line.

For a time, charcoal and firewood were scarce, and the stoves were cold and the smoke was thin. The soldiers could only huddle around the weak fires for warmth or huddle in the cold tents, barely surviving on each other's body heat.

The group had lost the initial vigor they had shown at the start of the expedition; all that remained was exhaustion, numbness, and endless despair.

At this point, the harsh reality completely extinguished the last glimmer of hope in Chai Rong's heart.

Even if he was unwilling, he knew that the war should come to an end. It would be unwise to continue fighting now. He could only follow the advice of the prime minister and other ministers and wait until next spring to discuss it again.

Chai Rong, standing in front of the tent, slowly closed his eyes.

He took a silent breath, and the icy air that filled his lungs forced him to calm down.

When I opened my eyes again, resentment still lingered in them, but it was eventually overwhelmed by a sense of helpless clarity.

The words "temporary cessation of hostilities" were a heavy burden for him, yet a choice he had to make.

After careful consideration, Chai Rong concluded that the only prudent course of action was to shrink the battle lines and hold the strategic Huai River pass.

But we must trap Shouzhou, this isolated city, and absolutely not give the Southern Tang any chance to come to its aid.

Taking advantage of the ice and snow, we must reorganize our army and strengthen our military, oversee the construction of warships in Bianjing, train our navy, and make up for this fatal weakness.

Everything can only wait until next spring when the flowers bloom and the ice and snow melt, and then we can settle the score.

Chai Rong comforted himself: This temporary retreat is to accumulate strength, and we will surely make a comeback soon!

...And so, we stayed at the mouth of the whirlpool for one night.

The emperor finally issued an edict: He Chao, the acting prefect of Guang Prefecture, was ordered to lead troops to garrison Guang Prefecture. Shi Yanchao, the commander of the Imperial Guards, withdrew his troops from Luzhou and retreated to Shengtang.

Wang Shenqi, the Right Wing Commander of the Iron Cavalry, and Pan Mei, the Acting Prefect of Shuzhou, led their troops back to Zhengyang from Qizhou and Shuzhou.

He then ordered Wu Xingde, the military governor of Xuzhou, to lead his troops to Dingyuan to guard against the enemy forces under the pseudo-Tang emperor Huangfu Hui.

The Imperial Guards Infantry Commander Li Jixun's troops were stationed west of Tushan, while the Tiger Swift Left Wing Commander Zhao Chao's troops were stationed at Wokou.

He then reassigned Li Chongjin, the former commander of the Imperial Guards, to the position of Grand Commander of Luzhou and Shouzhou, giving him control over the troops at the front. At the same time, he led 5,000 elite Imperial Guards and more than 20,000 able-bodied men to besiege Shouchun City.

Zhang Yongde, the commander of the Imperial Guards, requested permission from the emperor to remain in Huainan. Chai Rong then appointed him as the deputy commander of Lu and Shou prefectures, ordering him to lead troops to garrison Yingshang to support Li Chongjin at any time.

The next morning.

The emperor's entourage left Wokou and then turned onto Yingshang, preparing to return north to Kaifeng along the Ying River.

The guards in front of the palace escorted the emperor and his civil and military officials ahead of him.

The main force of the Imperial Guards was delayed for several days due to the need for assembly and deployment before setting off, and the army returned to the capital in a grand procession.

When passing through Yingzhou, Chai Rong stayed overnight, and then, with Empress Fu in tow, rushed back home without stopping.

……

At the end of winter in the second year of Xiande, Kaifeng was hit by a heavy snowfall that lasted for a day and a night.

But the leaden sky still shrouded the northern capital, and the remaining snow piled up into dirty lumps of ice in the corners of the streets.

The howling wind whipped up fine snowflakes that stung people's faces.

Ten miles south of Tokyo, the atmosphere was solemn and heavy.

The highest power core remaining in Tokyo consisted of Xiang Xun, the Envoy of the Southern Court of Xuanhui and the Governor of Tokyo; Wang Pu, the Left Attendant Gentleman of the Palace and the Deputy Governor of Tokyo; Han Tong, the Acting Inspector of the Imperial Guards and the Inspector General of the Capital; and Li Yi, the Acting Inspector of the Palace Guards and the Deputy Inspector General of the Capital.

The four men, leading the civil and military officials of the fifth rank and above who remained in Tokyo, had been standing solemnly in the cold wind for a long time, waiting.

Li Yi, dressed in a purple official robe with a gold fish-shaped pouch hanging from his waist, stood before the civil and military officials, slightly behind Xiang Xun and Wang Pu.

The icy air, when inhaled, carried a chill that penetrated to the very core.

But his upright figure remained unmoved in the wind, his gaze piercing through the swirling snow and dust, fixed on the end of the southern official road.

"They're here!" someone whispered.

Everyone's spirits were lifted.

At the edge of the horizon, a wriggling black line first appeared, then quickly became clear.

It was the Imperial Guard's ceremonial procession returning like a long dragon, banners fluttering, weapons gleaming coldly under the gloomy sky.

At the very front of the procession was a huge yellow silk canopy; though it was still some distance away, the imperial majesty it represented was already overwhelming.

The dull thud of horses' hooves on the frozen road, the monotonous creaking of cart shafts, and the sharp metallic clang of armor rubbing against each other, mixed with the sound of wind and snow, formed a heavy and weary torrent of sounds.

The news gradually reached the ears of the waiting crowd.

The weariness seemed tangible and real, blending into the cold winter wind, making it hard to breathe.

After a long while, the imperial carriage finally arrived in front of everyone.

The massive procession slowly came to a stop, and under the yellow canopy, the curtain of a carriage decorated with royal patterns was opened.

A palace attendant trotted forward and announced loudly, "His Majesty has returned to the capital. All officials shall pay their respects!"

Li Yi and his ministers all knelt down, their thunderous shouts echoing across the wilderness: "We respectfully welcome Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings!"

Amidst welcoming greetings, Emperor Shizong Chai Rong, dressed in casual clothes with a heavy fox fur coat over them, slowly stepped down from his carriage with the help of his eunuchs.

He appeared much thinner than before he left the capital, with slightly sunken eye sockets and more prominent cheekbones.

Only his eyes remained sharp as a hawk's, with a hint of coldness and a deep gloom in them.

Chai Rong's gaze swept over the kneeling officials, lingering briefly on a few key ministers before finally settling on Li Yi at the front, where it lingered for a moment longer.

That gaze held scrutiny, inquiry, and perhaps a hint of barely perceptible expectation.

But it eventually transformed into a calm and steady voice: "All of you, rise."

The emperor's voice was slightly hoarse and tired, yet it exuded an undeniable majesty.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Everyone stood up, hands at their sides, in solemn silence.

Chai Rong's gaze swept across the snow-covered wilderness, then swept over the welcoming crowd, and finally looked back towards the south, towards the land he had not yet conquered, and remained silent for a moment.

The cold wind whipped up the hem of his fur robe, making it flutter loudly. The prime minister Fan Zhi, the vice prime minister Wang Pu, the privy councilor Wei Renpu, and other ministers who had accompanied him on the expedition, as well as a group of weary imperial guards, also dismounted from their sedan chairs and horses.

They stood behind the emperor, their faces showing signs of exhaustion from their long journey.

Xiang Xun stepped forward and, on behalf of the officials who remained behind, said: "Your Majesty personally led the southern expedition, braving arrows and stones, and did not shirk his hardships. Now that Your Majesty has returned, the capital region is at peace, which is truly a blessing for the nation."

Chai Rong nodded slightly, his face revealing neither joy nor anger, and said calmly, "The officials who remain in Tokyo have worked hard on my behalf, and they have also had a difficult time."

"It is our duty to share Your Majesty's burdens," the crowd replied in unison.

Chai Rong said no more and turned to get into the carriage.

His back was ramrod straight, but there seemed to be a sense of suppressed ambition in his back, like the heavy leaden clouds covering the sky above Bianliang City, weighing heavily on the hearts of everyone present.

This grand welcoming ceremony was devoid of the glory of victory, leaving only somber reflections and endless uncertainty about the future.

Li Yi watched as the emperor's entourage slowly drove towards Tokyo, his mind churning with emotions...

Although the winter was cold, the situation in Huainan was even more frigid than the harsh winter in Tokyo.

……

The day after returning to Beijing, the snow had just stopped, but the chill remained.

The snow in the wide square in front of Xuande Gate has been completely cleared away, revealing the cold bluestone slabs.

After Li Yi had his waist token checked at the palace gate, he was led by a eunuch through the magnificent palaces, step by step, toward the central palace.

Inside the imperial city, the atmosphere was more tense and solemn than usual, with the imperial guards standing tall and unblinking, clad in armor.

Clearly, the emperor's unsuccessful campaign cast a shadow over the palace and its surroundings. Everyone held their breath, fearing that the slightest misstep would bring misfortune.

Li Yi was led directly to the headquarters of the Privy Council.

He didn't understand why the emperor had summoned him to the Privy Council, only that besides himself, Xiang Xun, Wang Pu, and the prime ministers Fan Zhi and Wang Pu had also been summoned.

The eunuch who led the way said that the emperor had summoned his ministers to discuss matters, but the eunuch did not know the specifics of the matter.

Unlike the usual relaxed atmosphere, an invisible pressure permeated the Privy Council's office today, as if the air itself had become heavier.

Upon reaching the entrance of the government office, Li Yi unexpectedly saw Zhang Mei, the Privy Councilor. The man stood on the steps, his gaze fixed on where Li Yi had come from, seemingly having been waiting for some time.

After the two exchanged greetings, Li Yi was about to probe their intentions when Zhang Mei spoke first, whispering a reminder: "His Majesty has summoned you all this time to seek advice on the war in Jiangnan. Commander Li should have a clear understanding of the situation beforehand."

Li Yi composed himself and respectfully clasped his hands in a bow: "Thank you for your guidance, Zhang Chengzhi!"

Zhang Mei, with a humble smile on her face, waved her hand and said, "Commander Li, you're too kind."

Then, the two walked side by side toward the government office.

I had just reached the door when I heard voices coming from inside:

"In the southern borderlands today, Wu is the most pressing threat and the primary objective of our Great Zhou's southern expansion! However, its territory is vast, bordering the sea to the east and the Yangtze River to the south, with a border defense stretching for two thousand miles! When our dynasty advances, we should avoid its sharpest attack and strike where it is weak..."

The voice was loud and clear, and Li Yi immediately recognized it as Wang Pu's.

Zhang Mei gestured for Li Yi to wait a moment, then pushed open the door to announce his arrival. She then turned back and led him inside.

Inside the official residence, the solemn and oppressive atmosphere was even more intense.

Emperor Shizong Chai Rong sat high behind the main seat and the imperial desk, while on the brocade stools on the left and right sides sat Chancellor Fan Zhi and Wang Pu, Privy Councilor Wei Renpu, and other important officials of the court, including Xiang Xun.

Wang Puzheng stood beside a wooden frame in the center of the room, with a huge map hanging in front of him.

Clearly, this was an extremely private and important military meeting.

The moment Li Yi stepped in, everyone's gazes, as if they were tangible, were fixed on him.

"Your subject Li Yi pays his respects to Your Majesty!" Li Yi stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"No need for formalities, Minister Li, please rise." Chai Rong's voice was still slightly hoarse with fatigue, but his imperial majesty remained undiminished.

"Give me a seat."

An attendant brought over a brocade stool. After thanking the emperor, Li Yi sat down sideways, his gaze quickly sweeping across the imperial desk.

A large map of the Jianghuai region was scattered on the table, with key locations heavily circled in red ink—Shouzhou, Tushan, Guangzhou, Haozhou, Sizhou…

After Li Yi sat down, the emperor gestured for Wang Pu to continue.

"In my opinion, it is not advisable to attack Jiangnan by force, but rather to defeat it with strategy. If the enemy has a large force deployed on the eastern front, we should march west and strike directly at the vital points! If the enemy has a strong army holding the western border, we should launch a surprise attack on the eastern flank! By repeatedly making feigned moves in this way, we can surely exhaust their troops, disrupt their formation, force them to run east and west, and be constantly on the move..."

Wang Pu stood before the map, pointing and speaking eloquently, drawing frequent nods of approval from the crowd.

But as Li Yi listened, he secretly shook his head.

He had also read Wang Pu's "Strategy for Pacifying the Borders," and the overall strategy of "south first, then north" was not problematic.

However, in certain specific details, he was perhaps too bookish... To put it bluntly, Wang Pu was not lacking in a broad perspective and was also very capable of handling government affairs.

But asking him to formulate military strategy is out of the question.

Just like what Wang Pu is saying now, "The method of attacking the weak and vulnerable does not require a large-scale military campaign, but only light guerrilla warfare."

At first glance, it seemed to make a lot of sense, but Li Yi, who was well aware of the course of history, knew in his heart that if he relied on Wang Pu's method, let alone "pacifying the world in ten years", he was afraid that he could not even guarantee "pacifying the Southern Tang in ten years".

As he listened, Li Yi's thoughts drifted elsewhere.

He discovered that everyone present was a close minister of the emperor, someone who could usually offer advice and suggestions to the emperor, while he was the only one who was a pure military general.

If the emperor wanted the Imperial Guard generals to come and listen in, then in terms of military rank and seniority, Han Tong was clearly superior to Li Yi.

But Han Tong didn't come... No matter how busy he was, he should have been present for such a major military event.

In addition, Li Chongjin and Zhang Yongde, two of the four main generals of the Imperial Guards, remained in Huainan, while Shi Yanchao and Li Jixun did not return.

However, Han Lingkun, the commander of the Imperial Guards, accompanied the emperor back to the capital.

However, the other party was also absent.

Li Yi couldn't help but wonder: Could it be because of his status as a relative of the emperor by marriage?
Just then, Wang Pu's impassioned speech finally came to an end. He bowed deeply to the emperor on the throne and returned to his seat.

Li Yi immediately put aside his chaotic thoughts and his gaze swept quickly over the emperor behind the imperial desk.

But Chai Rong leaned against the throne, his brows slightly furrowed, his fingers lightly tapping the table, seemingly lost in thought.

After a moment's thought, Li Yi realized that the emperor was definitely not satisfied with Wang Pu's suggestion.

After all, Emperor Shizong Chai Rong had grand ambitions; he wanted to unify the country and end the chaos. If he followed Wang Pu's conservative plan, it would be impossible to know when he would achieve his goal.

Just as Li Yi was lost in thought, the emperor's gaze fell upon him: "Minister Li."

Li Yi quickly rose and bowed, saying, "Your subject is here!"

(End of this chapter)