Chapter 105: [Celestial Reign]

**Chapter 105: “Celestial Reign”**

*(Note: "Celestial Reign" is the era name, or nianhao, used during the reign of the current monarch.)*

The battle report detailed the reasons for the defeat.

Since the last emperor of the previous dynasty ceded the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan-Yun, the Central Plains Dynasty lost its natural northern mountainous barriers. Without strategic terrain to defend and lacking effective cavalry to counterattack, Great Yan could only mass troops along the border for defense.

Back then, Emperor Taizu of Great Yan spared no effort in constructing three key fortresses at the border between the two nations: Waqiao Pass, Yijin Pass, and Yukou Pass.

All three passes were located on flat, open plains, surrounded by salt flats formed from Yellow River floods.

To strengthen the border defenses during the late emperor's reign, generals like An Hongyu, with imperial approval, devised ways to channel water to create reservoirs, transforming the salt flats into a winding river stretching 800 li (roughly 250 miles), with its widest point reaching sixty li.

Yet engineered defenses could never match the reliability of natural ones.

A few days prior, Yanbei was hit by a blizzard. Within just a day and night, the ice on narrower sections of the river had thickened enough to allow small-scale troop movements across. The Great Mu commanders seized this opportunity to cross the frozen river, catching the Yan army off guard.

To be frank, after decades of confrontation between Great Yan and Great Mu, the gap in military strength and overall national power between the two was not significant. For Great Mu to march south and wipe out Great Yan’s sovereignty in one fell swoop was nearly impossible. However, seizing opportunities to secure several victories was not difficult.

“What do you all believe is Great Mu’s goal in mobilizing two hundred thousand troops to attack the three passes?”

“Great Mu has long sought to seize the three passes and redefine the frontier. Taking advantage of our current weakness, they have launched this southern campaign precisely to demand the cession of the three passes. I believe Great Mu will soon send envoys bearing a state missive.”

War is the continuation of politics.

Great Mu’s deployment of such a massive force clearly aimed to leverage their victories and force Great Yan into concessions, securing the upper hand in negotiations.

Huo Ling sneered, sweeping her gaze over those present. “Beyond the three passes, the land from Yanbei to the capital is flat and open. Great Mu’s cavalry excels in long-distance raids. If we allow them to take the three passes, their horsemen could freely roam outside Luocheng.”

“Should the three passes fall on my watch, I shall immediately go to the ancestral temple and end my life before our forebears, rather than live in constant fear within these palace walls because of Great Mu’s cavalry.”

This year had been chaotic. Before the court could fully stabilize—take the Ministry of War, for example—some positions remained vacant, while others had been filled but required time for the new appointees to gain competence through adaptation and training.

After thirty years of peace, Great Mu’s aggressive advance stirred many calls for compromise among the court.

Of course, Great Yan had fought its share of wars in recent years.

Not to mention distant conflicts, just a few years prior, quelling the Qiang Rong revolt had lasted over half a year.

Yet, in the eyes of many court officials, though the Qiang Rong had submitted to Great Yan for decades, Great Mu had stood as its rival for just as long. The military strength of the Qiang Rong was no match for Great Mu’s. They dared to suppress the Qiang Rong rebellion but hesitated to confront Great Mu head-on.

Huo Ling’s final words startled those present, but they also sensed her unyielding resolve—this war was unavoidable, and no ground would be yielded.

Huo Ling did not expect this battle to yield major victories. The most crucial objective was for the Yan army to hold the three passes at all costs.

With a clear strategic direction, Huo Ling and the ministers carefully deliberated countermeasures.

The lanterns in Xingtai Hall burned through the night. At dawn, the locked palace gates swung open again as Huo Ling, accompanied by Ji Xianshan and a host of officials, bid farewell to the Swallow Feather Army’s departure.

With a formidable enemy at their doorstep, past minor conflicts between father and daughter were trivial.

Huo Ling raised a teacup in toast to Huo Shiming.

Amid thin snow and banners snapping in the wind, thirty thousand armored soldiers snaked into the distance like a great serpent.

Only after returning to the palace and sinking into a cushioned divan did Huo Ling retrieve the battle report once more, rereading the lines detailing Fang Jianbai’s death on the battlefield.

A living, breathing person, reduced to a handful of sparse lines on paper.

When Wu Mo entered to check the charcoal fire, she was surprised to find Empress Dowager Huo Ling still awake.

Cradled in her arms was a letter box containing the letters Fang Jianbai had written to her over the past two years.

Two years ago, Fang Jianbai had followed her orders to go to Yanbei and serve under Commander An Hongyu.

Since then, he had sent her a letter roughly every three months.

The letters rarely touched on personal matters, nor did they ever mention the ostracism he endured. They only reported his observations of the affairs and personnel in Yanbei.

Every word maintained a strictly official tone throughout.

Only at the very end of each letter was there a single personal line: "May you stay well."

"He was always that kind of person."

The letter fluttered from her grasp as Empress Dowager Huo Ling said, "Years ago, when my father led troops into the Qiang Rong royal encampment and encountered fierce resistance, Fang Jianbai took a slash to the left shoulder protecting my father. It took him over half a year to barely recover, but his left hand was left with lasting effects."

Wu Mo felt her nose sting with emotion as she whispered, "Empress Dowager..."

Huo Ling waved her off. She knew that from now on, she had lost another dear one.

And this time, she hadn't even had the chance to say a proper goodbye.

***

After the Swallow Feather Army marched forth, word soon came from the Xiongzhou front—Great Mu had sent envoys bearing a diplomatic missive demanding renegotiation of the border between the two nations.

Empress Dowager Huo Ling ignored it, biding her time for the latest battle report from Yanbei.

During this period, an unexpected development arose.

Minister of Revenue Qu Baichuan suddenly requested an audience.

When he met the empress dowager, he didn’t state his purpose directly but circled around the topic.

By the time she grew impatient and was about to dismiss him, Qu Baichuan finally gritted his teeth and said, "This unworthy minister has come to petition the Empress Dowager—will the tax relief measures for all prefectures and counties next year still proceed?"

Empress Dowager Huo Ling was surprised. "Why do you ask?"

Qu Baichuan replied, "To be frank with Your Majesty, this year we first had to cover the expenses for the late Emperor’s funeral, then prepare for His Majesty’s enthronement ceremony. These two major additional expenditures have all but exhausted the treasury’s remaining funds."

With the current turmoil in Yanbei and Great Mu deploying such a large army, they would not retreat easily. Once war broke out, military expenses would skyrocket.

Qu Baichuan was already losing sleep over how to raise the enormous sum needed for the war effort.

The decree on tax relief was supposed to be issued alongside the proclamation of the new reign’s name, so at this point, only the Empress Dowager and a very few court officials knew about it—it had not yet reached the public.

Qu Baichuan had come to petition the Empress Dowager's wisdom.

If absolutely necessary, they could only cancel the tax relief and divert the funds originally allocated to compensate for the tax cuts to military expenses instead.

After a moment of thought, the Empress Dowager said, "An edict once given will not be reversed. As for the military funds... if the treasury cannot cover them, I shall draw from my privy purse."

At this moment, she was grateful she had confiscated the properties of some disgraced officials. Otherwise, having just taken power, she wouldn’t have been able to spare such substantial funds for such matters.

Qu Baichuan exclaimed reverently, "The Empress Dowager's wisdom illuminates all!"

After three years of training, the Swallow Feather Army had reached full readiness, though it had yet to be tested in actual combat. Thus, from the very beginning of their strategic planning, they had decided to avoid direct confrontation and instead make flanking maneuvers to launch a surprise attack on the rear of the Great Mu army.

True enough, the Great Mu forces had not expected a cavalry unit to cover such ground for a raid. Caught off guard, they saw the bulk of their supplies go up in smoke.

With their logistics destroyed, the Swallow Army held the city walls, refusing to engage despite the Great Mu's provocations. Realizing they could not take the city within days, the Mu generals had no choice but to temporarily withdraw their forces, establishing defensive positions while seeking new opportunities.

With support from the Waqiao Pass garrison, the Swallow Feather Army safely entered the fortress.

Huo Shiming immediately went to see An Hongyu.

An Hongyu’s temples were frosted with white, his wounds from recent battles not yet fully healed. The airless tent was thick with medicinal herbs and blood.

After reviewing the military dispositions at the three passes, Huo Shiming took a deep breath before asking about Fang Jianbai—where he was, whether his body had been properly prepared.

"His parents, younger sister, and aunt still don’t know the news," Huo Shiming said after a long silence, his voice hoarse. "I’ll dispatch a Royal Guard to return him to Western Yan for burial."

***

Once the Shouning Palace was completed and the imperial mourning period ended, Huo Ling moved into the palace with Ji Xianshan, officially beginning her rule from behind the screen.

This was the first grand court audience since the new emperor’s ascension, requiring the attendance of all officials ranked sixth grade and above.

In the depths of winter, dawn came late. As courtiers arrived one by one outside the Golden Luan Hall, the ever-burning lamps lining both sides of the hall cast a glow from the base of the steps all the way up.

The intricately carved and jade-inlaid Golden Luan Hall, illuminated by the golden lamplight, resembled a celestial palace.

Once most had gathered, the doors of the Golden Luan Hall slowly opened, admitting the officials inside to take their positions.

Yet when they entered and saw the full interior, their faces showed mixed emotions.

The hall’s furnishings were virtually unchanged from memory—save for one stark difference: behind the imperial throne, a yellow curtain hung.

"His Majesty arrives."

"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager arrives."

At Li Man’s announcement, the courtiers bowed in unison.

Ji Xianshan, dressed in a small but perfectly fitted court robe, was assisted by Li Man onto the dragon throne.

Huo Ling, also in court attire, took her place behind the curtain.

Her hands rested on the armrests as she gazed across the imposing hall through the gauzy veil.

Beside both Ji Xianshan and her, historiographers stood ready with brush and scroll, recording every word and action.

"Your Majesty, it is time," Li Man whispered in reminder.

Huo Ling collected herself and raised a hand. "Let the court session begin."

Two principal matters were to be discussed in this grand assembly: the war in Northern Yan and Ji Xianshan’s reign title.

In the year of a new emperor’s ascension, out of respect for the late emperor, the previous reign title was retained. Only in the following year would a new one be proclaimed.

The Ministry of Rites had already prepared several propitious era names for the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to choose from.

Of course, though presented as a joint selection, the true authority lay with Huo Ling.

Among the eight proposed reign titles, three contained the character *Ming* (明), two contained *Tian* (天), and the remaining three were derived from the *Book of Changes* (*Yijing*).

When Wen Shengan heard these options, he smiled coldly to himself—this was exactly the kind of thing the Ministry of Rites would do.

*Ming*—the conjunction of the sun and the moon.

*Heaven*—the divine realm above mortals.

During periods of regency, these characters were often favored for reign titles.

In the end, Huo Ling chose only the *Tian* (天) character from the Ministry's proposals and complemented it with *Shou* (狩).

*Shou* (狩) signified conquest.

With the war in Northern Yan at a stalemate, *Tianshou* (天狩), as the reign title implied, her unspoken ambition was to one day reclaim Yan’s lost territories and embark on campaigns against the Great Mu. It also symbolized her divine mandate—to rule as the regent of heaven.