Treat Him Well

State of Zhao, the Royal Palace. The King of Zhao stood before his desk, staring down at a map spread across its entire surface. The map scroll was actually a spirit treasure. At this moment, shimmering images of mountains and rivers rippled across it, presenting a vivid microcosm of the realm spanning south to Zhao and north to the northern frontier. The King of Zhao tapped the map with a finger and said, "For the past half year, Wei Yuan has been transporting weapons and supplies to the Northern Mountain Gate. Though he hasn't sent many men yet, his flying boats have flown in an endless stream. It is clear his focus has shifted north. "However, the Liao Clan is powerful, and as of now, there is no visible change in the northern front. Western Jin's Prince Ying and Prince Cheng have two million troops pinned down in the north, unable to budge. If they dare pull any soldiers south, Northern Liao will reach the walls of Yingdu in an instant." Three princes, two princesses, and seven or eight high-ranking ministers stood in the study, all listening quietly. Tracing his hand across the map, the King of Zhao continued, "As for the eight hundred thousand men on Western Jin's southern front, I have secretly had agents inspect them all. Their actual roster numbers only four hundred thousand, and their armaments are neglected while their officers are incompetent. Those capable of fighting probably don't even amount to a hundred thousand. If we deploy three hundred thousand elites, we could punch right through the entirety of southern Western Jin." A young prince stepped forward and declared loudly, "Your son is willing to share Father's burdens! Give me just a hundred thousand elites, and I am confident I can beat Western Jin into utter defeat!" Without lifting his head, the King of Zhao said, "Your older brothers and sisters haven't spoken yet. When was it your turn?" The young prince shrank back sheepishly, lowering his head and not daring to utter another word. The King of Zhao suddenly frowned slightly and murmured to himself, "That old dog Lu Ming was quite formidable in his youth. Not long ago, the Crown Prince's coup was a guaranteed victory, yet the old man actually overturned it. Would he really just lay the entire south out bare before me like this? If he's still hiding elite troops, where would he place them?" At this moment, Zhao's Crown Prince spoke up: "Father, there is another variable: Wei Yuan of Qingming. We must be on guard against him!" The King of Zhao said indifferently, "Indeed, we must test his mettle again, but for now, he is not yet a serious threat. It is easy for Wei Yuan to push west, but the formidable passes to the southeast are all in our hands. Even with a million-strong army, he couldn't break through. "Besides, he ruined the scheme Lu Changhe painstakingly laid. Lu Changhe is a man who avenges every slight—how could he swallow such an insult? The real question is: what is that old dog Lu Ming doing? After extending his lifespan, he hasn't made a single move." No one spoke. Everyone knew the King of Zhao had already formed a plan in his mind and was merely deliberating the final details. Finally, the King of Zhao tapped the map and said, "Draft a letter to Lu Ming. First, recount seven major crimes of his, and then demand that he cede two southern commanderies. As long as he is willing to hand over both commanderies, our Great Zhao's five hundred thousand iron cavalry won't attack Western Jin—they will march north into the grasslands to help him contend against Northern Liao!" "Father, absolutely not!" A princess's expression changed, and she cried, "Western Jin is hollowed out. We could easily crush their southern legions at minimal cost. When that happens, what we seize will be far more than two commanderies! This is a heaven-sent opportunity! "If the King of Jin agrees to this condition, not only will we get only two commanderies, but we'll also have to march north to help them fight the Liao Clan. The Liao Clan doesn't even border our lands, so any territory we conquer won't end up in our hands. Wouldn't that be slaving away for someone else's benefit? What's more, if we repel Northern Liao, the land they reclaim might far exceed two commanderies." The King of Zhao seemed quite doting toward this young princess. He merely glanced at her without anger, then instructed a civil official, "Draft the decree." When the King of Zhao spoke like this, his mind was made up, and no one dared question him further. The old minister immediately drafted a decree at an adjoining table, reeling off thirteen major crimes committed by the King of Jin in one breath. The King of Zhao crossed out several of them, condensed them into seven sins, and stamped it with the jade seal. ... When Wei Yuan saw the King of Jin again, it was within the royal palace. This was his first time setting foot inside the King of Jin's imperial study. The imperial study was actually not large. A desk sat dead center, flanked by wall shelves bearing various classical texts on one side and official dossiers and archives on the other. The King of Jin was reviewing memorials. Two tall stacks of official documents sat on the desk: one side awaiting review, the other already annotated. As Wei Yuan entered the study, Zhao Tong bowed out and withdrew. The King of Jin did not pause, nor did Wei Yuan disturb him, quietly watching as the King reviewed memorials. The King of Jin read the memorials swiftly and annotated them just as rapidly. Yet occasionally he would lapse into long contemplation, followed by lengthy, detailed directives, thoroughly earnest. After a while, having reviewed over a dozen memorials in one go, the King of Jin cast a reluctant glance at the towering pile of scrolls before setting aside his official duties. He remarked, "When We first ascended the throne, every day was like this—reviewing over six hundred memorials a day. Just now, We felt as though We had returned to Our youth. Truly, only by keeping busy does one's mood improve." "Your Majesty is diligent in state affairs, but you must take care of your health as well," Wei Yuan said. The King of Jin blinked in surprise, then burst into hearty laughter. "How did you become so smooth-tongued as well? How is it We heard that your lineage from the Sky Azure Hall never needs more than three sentences to make an enemy?" Without batting an eye or missing a beat, Wei Yuan replied, "Those are mere rumors from the Jianghu; they shouldn't be taken seriously." The King of Jin ceased laughing and said, "Truth be told, even if that remark was insincere, it still sounded pleasant to the ear." Then, wiping the smile from his face, the King of Jin asked, "We summoned you today to ask one thing: if Zhao invades, how do you plan to respond?" Wei Yuan had anticipated this question and was long prepared. He immediately answered, "The Fourth Prince of Zhao established the Bishui Territory on the border of Qingming and garrisoned heavy troops there. If war breaks out between Jin and Zhao, I will first attack Bishui Territory—yet without rushing to conquer it, so Zhao will continuously dispatch reinforcements to relieve it, thereby taking pressure off Great Jin." His expression unchanging, the King of Jin placed a letter before Wei Yuan and said, "This is a letter Li Shenji sent to Us this morning. Take a look." Wei Yuan opened the letter and skimmed over the seven sins without a second thought. Whether seven, nine, or eighty-one sins, it was nothing more than rounding up to a catchy number for show, devoid of real significance. But Wei Yuan read the ensuing terms several times over before finally setting the letter down. "What do you think?" the King of Jin asked. Wei Yuan replied, "The gain or loss of a single commandery or county is of little consequence. Two commanderies may seem like a lot, but they are populated by Jin subjects. With the will of the people on our side, winning them back later will be simple. However, allowing Zhao's armies to march north to resist the Liao Clan is tantamount to granting Zhao free passage through Great Jin's territory. The lands flanking that corridor will no longer belong to Jin." "The will of the people?" The King of Jin chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Do you think We still possess the will of the people?" Wei Yuan said, "As long as Your Majesty strives for governance, grants the people respite, reforms the bureaucracy, and then wins a victory in the north, the hearts of the people will return immediately." Wei Yuan spoke of these three monumental tasks with effortless ease, as though they could be achieved in the blink of an eye. Moreover, he spoke so smoothly and naturally that it sounded as if he believed it himself. Hearing this, the King of Jin's spirits indeed lifted. He laughed heartily and said, "Of those three things you mentioned, if We could accomplish just one, We wouldn't be judged harshly in the history books. You rascal, how did you become so slick? Very well, let Us ask you: if it were you, which of the three could you accomplish?" Wei Yuan answered, "A great victory in the north. That is the easiest. Whether it's truly a victory doesn't matter; whether a battle was even fought doesn't matter. You only need to make the common folk outside the northern border believe we won." The King of Jin was momentarily taken aback, then sighed. "You truly dare say anything. Others deceive the monarch; you deceive the common people!" The King of Jin continued, "The situation in the south has rotted to the core. How do you propose to handle it?" Wei Yuan said, "First, summon the commanders of each legion to the royal capital and detain them, cutting off all outside communication. Next, audit the rosters across all camps and eliminate all phantom soldiers on the payroll. After that, overhaul armaments, select elite soldiers to train as a New Army, and reissue new models of military gear. But to purge phantom payrolls and overhaul arms requires the authority to execute first and report later—and there will likely be many people to kill. "Pardon my bluntness, but those eight hundred thousand troops in the south are nothing more than eight hundred thousand mouths taking pay. Without them, fighting the war will actually be easier." The King of Jin said, "Those generals won't let you run wild like that, and quite a few of them are Our own relatives." Wei Yuan said, "Most of these generals hail from prominent aristocratic clans. If Zhao doesn't come, they are officials of Great Jin. If Zhao comes, they will turn around and become officials of Zhao. Your Majesty's relatives are no exception; they might even have more backup plans. "Precisely because they can serve as officials on either side, I wager many would rather surrender than surrender the silver they pocket from phantom rosters. Rather than let them become carefree officials under Zhao, it is better to execute them on the spot. Kill enough of them, and the rest will surely fall in line." The King of Jin remained silent for a long time before sighing, "Young people truly have bold ideas. We are truly old." Wei Yuan could hardly reply to such words, so he could only remain silent. Who knew what the King of Jin was pondering? Outside the window, the sun slowly sank behind the western hills. The sunset glowed like blood, staining the window lattices crimson and painting the walls vermilion, casting a flush of red across the King of Jin's face as well. After a long time, the King of Jin finally said, "We pondered this for a long while and originally intended to entrust the military affairs of the entire south to you. But on closer thought, your seniority is still lacking; you cannot keep those old veterans in check. "How about this: We shall instruct the Ministry of War to prioritize purchasing armaments from Qingming. In addition, We shall grant you a decree permitting you to establish trade-route courier posts throughout the country to take in refugees. Wherever you take in refugees, no local authority may hinder you. Though We are old, We still possess this much authority." Wei Yuan offered his thanks. This was precisely what he had been contemplating. Once war broke out, displaced refugees would be everywhere, and it would come down to how many he could scoop up. With this royal decree, Wei Yuan could openly establish posts and station troops at key locations across Jin. If anyone dared touch his refugees, Wei Yuan himself might not act openly, but horse bandits were always at his beck and call. After expressing his gratitude, Wei Yuan could not shake the feeling that there was more to the King of Jin's words than met the ear. Unable to decipher it for the moment, he could only toss the thought into the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World for analysis. The King of Jin lightly struck a jade chime on his desk, and Liu Quangong entered. The King instructed, "Take Wei Yuan to Chunhua Palace." Liu Quangong's face remained impassive. "Right away." Bracing himself, Wei Yuan followed Liu Quangong. Just as he was about to step out the door, he suddenly heard the King of Jin call from behind, "Wei Yuan!" Already feeling guilty, Wei Yuan felt his heart skip a couple of violent beats. Of course, on the surface, Wei Yuan showed not the slightest hint of abnormality. The King of Jin added an extra word of advice: "Prince Fu is still young. Treat him well."